Many creators early in their careers make the mistake of tackling a giant project requiring a longterm creative “marriage” with their collaborators. There’s a better way to do it.

Highlights of this Session Include:

Why it’s usually a mistake to pursue your opus at the start of your career?

Why creators have trouble thinking small… even though doing so is the key to becoming a finisher.

Great examples of creators who are doing it right and winning.

Plus: Will I see you at New York Comic Con?

Today’s Session is brought to you by

“Today’s Session is Sponsored by Gorilla my Dreams, a Gorilla Noir webcomic by Ahmed Raafat and Big Tim Stiles. Issue 1 is live on Kickstarter right now! Check out Gorilla my Dreams at gorillamydreams.smackjeeves.com”

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

It’s Batman: The Animated Series mashed with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles if Saturday morning cartoons were on after 10pm.

In Struggle-Town the streets are protected by Knockaround-Guy, a talking gorilla who fancies himself a superhero.
When a street mime is found dead (asphyxiated inside an actual invisible box), Knockaround-GuyG soon finds himself wading through the ugly and dangerous underbelly of the city.
After meeting the beautiful Margot le Dieu, Knockaround-Guy’s investigation spread from The North Poles Strip Club, through a slew of colourful criminals, and finally leads to Lucifer Bim-Bom and his Killer Klown Syndicate.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [116]

Whatever Idea you’re working on… imagine how long it will take to finish. Now double that. And then double that. That’s how long it will likely take. Now, how can you reduce the scope of the project to get to something that you can COMPLETE and put out into the world sooner? What does the smaller version look like?

What’s the difference between pros and amateurs? When the pros finish playing a game, they study film… they examine what worked, what didn’t, and what they can do better next time. The same goes for taking your Kickstarter launches to the next level… this podcast will walk you through how to do a Kickstarter postmortem.

Highlights of this Session Include:

The difference between content and education, and why I do NOT hold back on the ComixLaunch podcast.

JD Oliva’s experience returning to Kickstarter after a long hiatus.

The one thing JD wishes he took more seriously during his latest launch.

Looking at the hard numbers and the feels to get a true picture of a successful Kickstarter launch.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

The READY FOR LAUNCH Workshop. Register today for this free Kickstarter training at ComixLaunch.com/ready

Today’s Guest – J.D. Oliva

J.D. Oliva is an award-winning writer of the books DELUGE and SHUNNED.

He’s a graduate of Andy Schmidt’s Comics Experience Online Classes and member of the Comics Experience Workshop.

He’s directed seven documentary films and coach wrestling at DeKalb High School in suburban Chicago. Former NCAA-ranked college wrestler and two-time AAU Judo National Champion.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

What’s it actually going to take to get your Kickstarter funded? When you know your numbers and you know what metrics to pay attention to when it comes to running a Kickstarter campaign, you’re much more likely to achieve the results you are looking for. This episode will show you what to pay attention to.

Highlights of this Session Include:

The danger of driving a car (or running a Kickstarter) without paying attention to the right dials.

Three key metrics that will tell the story of your Kickstarter campaign.

Examples of Creators who are getting very clear on what it will actually take to achieve their goals.

Plus: Real KPI stats from my biggest Kickstarter campaign ever… and how they changed over the course of the campaign.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

Two more metrics I was paying attention to throughout the campaign…

Put together a 12 minute training video on those as the Club ComixLaunch VIP resource on Patreon.
CC helps us pay for hosting editing and keeps this show coming out on a weekly basis.
If you’re already a VIP member, make sure you watch the bonus training, which, hopefully you’ll have even more context for thanks to this episode.
And if you haven’t supported us yet, here’s a great extra reason for you to become a Club ComixLaunch member today.
ComixLaunch.com/patreon

By pledging just $19, you’ll get a digital copy of the music created for the series, an eBook about the history and making of the show, and your name will be listed in the description of an episode on iTunes.

Higher rewards also include posters, t-shirts, and a chance to have your name appear within an episode.

Follow them on twitter @playwrighthaven and don’t forget to check out the Never-Ending Battle on Kickstarter at ComixLaunch.com/NEB. Tell them Comixlaunch sent you.

It’s not often Tyler talks to a guest who has spent more time thinking about, studying, analyzing and interviewing experts in crowdfunding than he has. But Sal Briggman of Crowdcrux.com and the Crowdfunding Demystified podcast is such a person. Tyler and Sal geek out about the wide world of crowdfunding in this next level launching interview episode.

Highlights of this Session Include:

How Sal saw a gap in the marketplace and filled it with Crowdcrux.

Sal’s best tips for choosing between the ever expanding crowdfunding options.

Crucial mistakes that are still holding creators back from success on Kickstarter and beyond.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

Hot on the heels of the C is for Cthulhu Team’s biggest launch ever, Tyler breaks down the three pieces of pre-launch content strategy the team crafted to energize current fans and attract more just like them, powering a $21,000.00+ launch day.

Highlights of this Session Include:

Inside the $21K+ launch day for Sweet Dreams Cthulhu, including the secret to launching bigger.

The three pieces of pre-launch content that lead to our best launch day ever.

How to work backwards to break down a massive goal into an attainable plan.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

3 Pieces of Pre-Launch Content that We created as a part of our pre-launch.

1) The Watch Magnet
2) The Lead Magnet
3) The Viral Contest

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [093]Ask yourself:Does my currently level of commitment my goal match what’s actually required to make it happen?Do I even know?

In the month of May, I have some great things coming up…

including a new free strategy guide, an all-new 5 day challenge, and we will also be opening the doors once again to the ComixLaunch Course Summer Session.

If you’d like to get on the advanced review list for The ComixLaunch Course, please go to ComixLaunch.com/course
And keep an eye on your inbox for good stuff coming from me.

Quote“There is no such thing as a happy ending to an unhappy journey.”– Abraham Hicks

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

In this session, Tyler chats with Andrea Purcell, a professional assistant who helps busy comic creators focus on what they do best. Learn how to get some help making your creative dreams happen.

Highlights of this Session Include:

What kind of professional assistance is available for busy comic creators?
How getting assistance at conventions can mean the difference between lackluster and blockbuster sales.
Social media tips for comic creators.
Plus: Hot (and profitable) merchandise ideas.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

Guest Introduction

My guest today has been working in the comics industry since 2010, first as a retailer, and currently as a part of the marketing team at Diamond Comic Distributors. She also works as a freelance assistant, I provide services for comic creators such as Patreon & social media management, creative marketing solutions, event assistance, and more, allowing them to focus on their writing and art.
Welcome to ComixLaunch Andrea Purcell

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [092]– Three Things You Love Doing– Three Things You Hate Doing– One thing that would be possible to– How much would it be worth to you for someone else to do it, if it meant you had more time to do one of the three things you love.

Building excitement for a new project is something most of us are used to. But how to you dust off an older project to give it a second chance on Kickstarter? And how to you re-energize the audience you have and attract its “new to you” fans to power crowdfunding success. In this session, Tyler chats with Clay Adams about taking his series Pregnant Bitches of War to Kickstarter.

Highlights of this Session Include:

How Clay warmed up a cold audience to give an older project new life on Kickstarter.

Clay’s best advice for creators just getting started building their publishing line.

What Clay’s found the most valuable from joining ListLaunch and the ComixLaunch course…and what surprised him about the community.

Plus: How Clay held his own in direct competition with Marvel, DC, and Nickelodeon at San Diego Comic Con.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

Interested in growing and connecting with a large audience on Instagram? Then this session of the ComixLaunch podcast is your blueprint, as Russell Nohelty of Wannabe Press shares his strategies for growing a following of 10,000+ on Instagram in under two years.

Highlights of this Session Include:

What is Instagram and why it’s worth using for writers, artists, and self-publishers?

How to get started with Instagram and grow your following with the right kind of people fast.

Apps for better Instagram images.

Platform Showdown – Instagram Live vs Kickstarter Live

Plus: How Instagram can impact a Kickstarter campaign.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) What is Instagram? How does it work? What’s it for What’s it Not for?
2) How do you use Instagram as a creator and publisher?
3) What specific benefits or results have you seen from using Instagram?
4) What are the biggest mistakes creators (writers, artists, self-publishers) make on Instagram?
5) How should a creator use Instagram in the ramp up to and actual execution of a Kickstarter campaign?
6) If you were coaching a creator who was starting from scratch, just downloading the Instagram app today, and who wants to get to 10K followers in, say, 12 months… what’s would that process look like?

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [090]Double Your Hashtags on All your Instagram Posts for a Week.

April is Audience Building month at ComixLaunch and this session sets the stage. If you’re ready to build a large audience to launch incredible projects to on Kickstarter and beyond, you need to put a solid foundation in place. Tyler gives you that foundation piece by piece in this podcast.

Highlights of this Session Include:

The necessary elements for building a large and loyal audience.
Two questions you need to answer before you’ll attract an audience.
Why less may be more when it comes to actively building your tribe.
One pillar you absolutely need to have in place to engage with your fan base (that 90% of aspiring creators are missing.)
Plus: A bonus writing strategy that will help readers connect with your main character in just a few pages.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [089]Where are you going to show up week in and week out?Home?Work?Play?

This month, Kickstarter is encouraging creators to launch one-week campaigns? We’ll talk the whys, the hows and whether the #Allin1 initiative is right for you.

Highlights of this Session Include:

Why I think Kickstarter has launched the Allin1 initiative, and how it fits into an overall focus for Kickstarter this year.
Kickstarter’s advice to Creator’s launching Allin1 Projects.
4 Killer ideas for great allin1 projects for comic book creators.
Plus: Why Allin1 isn’t right for everyone.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [087]

Send me an idea for a one week Kickstarter campaign that you will not use.

Comixlaunch.com/voicemail

Quote

“You maintain interest in that what you are invested in.”

– Michael Hyatt

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Every Kickstarter campaign reveals multiple creative lessons and business breakthroughs. In this session, Tyler James shares the top lesson learned from each of his first 5 successful Kickstarter campaigns.

Highlights of this Session Include:

The power of adding a premium offer to your campaign.
Rules for adding buffer to your fulfillment time-table.
The huge mistake of not following your own advice.
Plus: Reliably adding 9% extra in funding AFTER your campaign has ended.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [086]Sketch out your next 5 campaign ideas. Invite to share results @ comixlaunch.com/voicemail or in an email [email protected]

Quote“Great creative minds think like artists but work like accountants” – David Brooks

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Andrew Pawley of GalaXaFreaks swings by ComixLaunch to talk about his experience successfully launching multiple projects on both Kickstarter AND Indiegogo. Andrew will also share some of the ways he’s leveled up his audience growth after joining the ListLaunch program.

Highlights of this Session Include:

Turning lessons from failure into success in crowdfunding.
Kickstarter vs. Indiegogo, and which platform Andrew plans on sticking with.
Cool and unconventional ways Andrew delivers a freaky amount of value to his audience.
Plus: You’re invited to take the ComixLaunch Kickstarter Page Survey at ComixLaunch.com/pagesurvey

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Purebuttons, your go-to resource for custom buttons of all shapes and sizes.

My guest today brings the world psychadelic science fiction and cosmic comic capers at Galaxafreaks.com. He’s a talented artist and designer and has managed several successful campaigns both on Kickstarter and Indigiegog to bring the Galaxfreaks to freaky folks around the world.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ListLaunch: Step-By-Step System Learn to how to start, grow and energize an email list of fans big enough to successfully launch your project on Kickstarter… and beyond!
ComixLaunch.com/ListLaunch

ListLaunch is a program for you if…
– Wish you new how to start an email list from scratch and communicate without feeling like a nuisance or that you’re bothering them.
– Wish you were building your email list faster and more automatically.
– Lack confidence in drumming up interest for your work.
If you’ve had success on Kickstarter but are concerned that most of your funding comes from friends and family and you’re struggling to grow beyond that.”
– How the hell do you find your auidence… and once you find them, how to you keep them energized, even when you have nothing launch?
– How do maximize the small audience you do have?
– Getting the word out beyond just your own reach.
– How do you get your audience to spread your work for you so you can attract more people like them.

Enrollment is open, but it will be closing soon. Why?
– Want to make it even better. Add more trainings… more creators I work with, more people in the community, more ideas for making it even more awesome.
– So, it’ll shut down for a bit…
– When we reopen, the price will go up, because the value will have gone up.
– If you’re interested in getting in before that happens, ComixLaunch.com/listlaunch to check it out.
– Get in there with myself, Andrew, and more awesome, hardworking creators building audience, building a peer network, and launching their art into the world.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Russell Nohelty of Wannabe Press and the Monsters and Other Scary Sh*t anthology returns to ComixLaunch to discuss the ups and downs and lessons learned from running 4 Kickstarter campaigns in a 12 month.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

Highlights of this session include:

– Highlights and lowlights of 4 Kickstarters in 12 Months.
– Best and worst conventions of 2016, and lessons learned.
– Picking the brains of comics brights on comic convention panels.
– Experiments in other platforms.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [083]

How many Kickstarters will you launch this year? What would adding just one more launch in the next 12 months look like? Could you do it? Why or why not? If you HAD to do it… what else would you launch?

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

SINK, the latest horror Kickstarter from John Lees, Alex Cormack and ComixTribe was funded in just 12 hours. In this fly-on-the-wall conversation session, you’ll hear the SINK team discuss openly and honestly the strengths, weaknesses, threats and opportunities of this new project, and how they put the game plan together for such a big project.

Highlights of this Session Include:

Dust off my favorite quick KS planning tool, the SWOT matrix, and show it in action.
How weaknesses and threats can be turned into Kickstarter opportunities.
Alex Cormack’s top tips for drawing super scary clowns.
John’s “secret” to writing genuinely scary comics.
Plus: More great comics are launching on Kickstarter every day. Some of the best are shared on this podcast!
Today’s Session is brought to you by ComixTribe
Get 5 free comics at ComixTribe.com/subscribe

Guest Introduction

My guest today is John Lees, an award-winning comic book writer of THE STANDARD, AND THEN EMILY WAS GONE and QUILTE from ComixTribe. He was the co-writer, with yours truly, on the acclaimed mini-series OXYMORON: The Loveliest Nightmare, and recently knocked his first licensed property gig writing an issue of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Universe for IDW. He hails from Glasgow, Scotland, which is the locale of his latest and greatest thriller, SINK, a new mini-series which, as of this podcasts airing is now on Kickstarter.ComixTribe.com/SINKjohnleescomics.com

One of the things I recommend all creators do prior to launching a KS is a SWOT analysis for their project.
We first talked about the SWOT exercise here — http://www.comixlaunch.com/session003/

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [082]Identify Two Weaknesses – Turn them into a two strengths.

Why So Important
Invite to share results @ comixlaunch.com/voicemail or in an email [email protected]

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

In this session, Tyler recaps the recent 6-Day Kickstarter Challenge, and shares insights from dozens of creators who participated. Including clips from every lesson shared during the challenge, this is a must-listen episode for anyone interested in taking their crowdfunding to the next level this year.

Highlights of this Session Include:

Clips from EVERY value-packed lesson taught during the challenge.
The biggest takeaways from dozens of creators like you who participated in the challenge.
Thoughts on the future of the challenge.
Plus: Comics Projects JUST LAUNCHED on Kickstarter!

Today’s Session is brought to you by

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

Quote

“The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something. Because the brick walls are there to stop the people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re there to stop the other people.”― Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Although ComixLaunch has almost exclusively focused on the Kickstarter platform, it is not the only game in town. Indiegogo is a crowdfunding platform that hundreds of comic creators have chosen to fund their projects. In this guest lesson episode, creator Jen Finelli makes the case for Indiegogo, and why she chose it over Kickstarter for her current launch.

Highlights of this Session Include:

Why a creator might choose Indiegogo over Kickstarter?
Crunching the numbers on success rates between the two platforms.
Bells and whistles Indiegogo has that Kickstarter does not.
Plus: My take on the case for Indiegogo vs. Kickstarter

Today’s Session is brought to you by

ToInfinity Studios mini-issue: Training Wheels, a 11×15 print, is a project live on Kickstarter. What’s cool about Training Wheels is that it’s a single page story with meaning and heart, evoking the kind of stories Curtis Clow and the ToInfinity Team intend to create.

A part of Kickstarter’s January MAKE/100 initiative, by backing Training Wheels, you’re supporting a passionate creative team and helping them get one step closer to finishing their first book. This one page story is being produced as a high quality print, on 120lb paper with a gloss finish. And if they hit their stretch goal, every backer will get an additional poster for free in their order. Check out Training Wheels on Kickststarter tday, and go to toinfinitystudios.com to see what else Curtis and the ToInfinity Studios team is working on.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [080]Back a Project for a Buck at Indiegogo.

Risk mitigation.
All eggs in one basket.

Quote

“Failure is only failure if it happens in the last chapter. Otherwise, it’s a plot twist.” – Danny Iny

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

2017 is already well underway, and many of us are already locked and loaded and moving forward on achieving our big goals for this year. But if you haven’t carved out some time to review the year that just wrapped, you’re making a mistake. In this session, Tyler shares his system for taking stock of the year that was in order to crush the year that’s yet to be.

Highlights of this Session Include:

Why an end-of-the-year review is so valuable.
Tools for putting together an end of the year review.
Key categories to review each year.
Plus: A few of Tyler’s biggest takeaways from 2016.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [079]

Find an hour or two that you can block off to recap your 2016 if you haven’t already. And schedule it. (That’s it. If it doesn’t get scheduled, it doesn’t get done.)

Pay it forward. Give value first. Do unto others. We hear this advice all the time and many of us practice it. But you won’t believe what one ComixLaunch listener did to really live this principle…

Highlights of this Session Include:

The 10X Rule and How It was so darn true when it came to the 6-Day Kickstarter Challenge

When speed of implementation pays… and when it doesn’t

The Power of Paying it Forward: You won’t believe what this ComixLaunch listener did for another

Plus: How you can share your 6-Day Kickstarter Challenge win and be on the podcast.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Club ComixLaunch

ComixLaunch listeners, are you ready to take your crowdfunding game to the next level?
If so, I’d love for you to join me and your fellow creators inside Club ComixLaunch on Patreon.
I’ve opened Club ComixLaunch to help continue and expand on the ComixLaunch mission of increasing the number of creators equipped to harness the power of the Kickstarter platform to bring amazing independent projects to life.
As a Club ComixLaunch member, you’ll have access to a number of exclusive perks and privileges, such as:

A shout out on the ComixLaunch Podcast for you and your project.

Access to the ComixLaunch Club exclusive Patreon feed for even more mindset, strategies and tactics to get your project funded.

The ComixLaunch Club Insider Monthly Kickstarter Resource which might be a guide, checklist, cheat sheet, template, or bonus training video designed to help you launch.

Priority enrollment in ComixLaunch Courses

Discounts on Courses, Books and Upcoming Premium Products

You can even sponsor an episode of the ComixLaunch podcast through Patreon.

And as the Club Grows, so do the perks…
See, there is a direct correlation between listener support and the value ComixLaunch can provide, and as the club expands, we hope to offer:

Monthly Kickstarter Page Critiques

Club Exclusive Chats and Q&As

Bonus Sessions of the ComixLaunch Podcast.

Full podcast transcripts for every episode.

And much more!

For as little as a dollar a month, you can access Club ComixLaunch today, help keep the podcast going and improving, and take your crowdfunding game to the next level.
Membership has its privileges, and to get a taste of them absolutely free, please go toComixLaunch.com/club and download a free Club ComixLaunch VIP Insider bonus resources today.

Let’s get you ready for your best launch yet!
I’ll see you inside the Club!

Creators, have you heard about Kickstarter’s Make/100 initiative rolling out in January? They’re challenging you to launch a Kickstarter with a special reward capped and limited to just 100 backers.

Highlights of this Session Include:

Get the scoop on Kickstarter’s brand new initiative that encourages creators to Make 100 of something

The REAL reasons I think Kickstarter is doing this.

Inside the resources Kickstarter has made available for creators to Make/100.

Plus: Steal this Make/100 Kickstarter plan.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Club ComixLaunch

ComixLaunch listeners, are you ready to take your crowdfunding game to the next level?
If so, I’d love for you to join me and your fellow creators inside Club ComixLaunch on Patreon.
I’ve opened Club ComixLaunch to help continue and expand on the ComixLaunch mission of increasing the number of creators equipped to harness the power of the Kickstarter platform to bring amazing independent projects to life.
As a Club ComixLaunch member, you’ll have access to a number of exclusive perks and privileges, such as:

A shout out on the ComixLaunch Podcast for you and your project.

Access to the ComixLaunch Club exclusive Patreon feed for even more mindset, strategies and tactics to get your project funded.

The ComixLaunch Club Insider Monthly Kickstarter Resource which might be a guide, checklist, cheat sheet, template, or bonus training video designed to help you launch.

Priority enrollment in ComixLaunch Courses

Discounts on Courses, Books and Upcoming Premium Products

You can even sponsor an episode of the ComixLaunch podcast through Patreon.

And as the Club Grows, so do the perks…
See, there is a direct correlation between listener support and the value ComixLaunch can provide, and as the club expands, we hope to offer:

Monthly Kickstarter Page Critiques

Club Exclusive Chats and Q&As

Bonus Sessions of the ComixLaunch Podcast.

Full podcast transcripts for every episode.

And much more!

For as little as a dollar a month, you can access Club ComixLaunch today, help keep the podcast going and improving, and take your crowdfunding game to the next level.
Membership has its privileges, and to get a taste of them absolutely free, please go toComixLaunch.com/club and download a free Club ComixLaunch VIP Insider bonus resources today.

Let’s get you ready for your best launch yet!
I’ll see you inside the Club!

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [077]I want you to come up with the idea for a limited Make 100 Reward tier for your current or next project.

Even if you aren’t going to actually launch, I’d encourage you to do this exercise, because if it’s successful, KS might do it again.
Plus, experimenting with creative and limited reward tiers is always a good idea.

Launching a Kickstarter in 2017? Are you up for a Challenge? Then ComixLaunch has one for you. Join Tyler James and five special guest instructors in completing six powerful challenges designed to level up your next Kickstarter project to make it your best launch ever!

Hightlights of this Session Include:

You’re invited to join Tyler James, five guest instructors, and over 100 of your fellow creators to take part in the free ComixLaunch 6-Day Kickstarter Challenge.

Why Tyler is running this challenge and how it fits squarely in with the mission and vision of ComixLaunch.

The three reasons you should join this first ComixLaunch challenge.

Plus: Tyler shares exactly what he’ll be teaching in the challenge and why it’s the very first thing you should do when starting a new campaign, whether you’re a Kickstarter novice or a seasoned veteran.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

Wrap Up

“To be a champion, I think you have to see the big picture. It’s not about winning and losing; it’s about every day hard work and about thriving on a challenge.” – Summer Sanders (Olympic Swimmer)

I’ve got a challenge for you.
Are you in?

In future sessions…

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Coming up, an interview with Russell Nohelty of Wannabe Press who will be a guest instructor in the challenge and he’ll be talking about running 4 KS in a 12 month span and living to tell about it. It’s a good one.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

In this year-end session, the ComixLaunch podcast refines and rededicates itself to the mission of making the comics the category on Kickstarter with the highest success rate. Tyler connects the process of expanding your mission to making a greater impact on the world with your art… and leaving a legacy.

In this session:

Sincere thanks to the listeners for being with us for 75 sessions and all the support along the way.

Revising and SMARTening the ComixLaunch Mission.

Kickstarter creators who have achieved greater impact by expanding their mission.

Mortality, Legacy, and not going with your music still in you.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [075]

Go to ComixLaunch.com/voicemailScroll down the page and click the START RECORDING ButtonLeave me a message in this format: “Hey, ComixLaunch, this is [your name] and I’m on a mission to [your big mission.] And so in 2017, I’m going to create [your next big project in service of that mission.]

When you attach yourself and your project to something bigger than yourself, it BECOMES bigger than anything you could do by yourself.
Trust me on this one…
Hope to hear from you.

In this session, Daniel Brodie of the comedy comic Morgan’s Organs shares lessons learned jumping head first into the world of comics and crowdfunding. You’ll hear about Daniel’s process of developing Morgan’s Organs from an idea in his head to a book that found a fan base and support on Kickstarter.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Featured Resource – FreshBooks

Session Table Setting

Guest Introduction

My guest today is a Toronto, Canada writer, Creator and writer of Morgan’s Organs comic book series It’s like Inside Out but for grown-ups!
About a year ago…
February 1, 2016Project launched
March 3, 2016 – Successfully raised CA$ 5,631 with 176 backers

Welcome to ComixLaunch, Daniel Brodie

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) Origin Story for Morgan’s Organs… the idea didn’t start as a comic, correct?

Initially conceived the idea of Morgan’s Organs on a backpacking trip in August 2013 as a television series
found the motivation/inspiration to try writing the pilot script of this series in February 2014
a few months later, I found a screenwriter networking site called www.talentville.com which is where the concept really grew and my writing developed
concept went through many reiterations over a period of 1-2 years, and my script went from scoring in the low 40s on the site to the mid-70s (putting my script into the top 10 on the site)
the founder of the site tried to help me find success in Hollywood, even connecting me with producers, but they felt the concept was too mature and the writing wasn’t strong enough yet
realizing that it was unlikely I would find success as an amateur writer in such a powerful and well-connecting industry that is Hollywood, I decided to PIVOT

“Pivot” is a word that has really stuck with me as I changed my vision from writing a television show to a comic book series. I’d enjoy explaining further why this word is important to me if you are interested to discuss it on the podcast
with no previous experience in comic books, working with an artist, comic book production or crowdfunding, I got to work doing plenty of research, there were ups and downs, mistakes and lessons. I initially worked with one art production agency, but the partnership was not what I had hoped for, so I cancelled the agreement. It might have felt like a waste of money, but really it was a learning experience to help me understand what I am really looking for in an artist.
I found my current artist on a website for freelancers. He was the only person I contacted. After seeing just one of his sketches of my main character, Bran the brain, I knew he was the artist for this project

Robert and I came to an agreement, and I commissioned him to complete 4 preview pages of Book 1 plus the cover art for the Kickstarter campaign, with the understanding that the success of the campaign would dictate whether the project continued.
While Robert worked on art, I spent much of my time researching the keys to a successful Kickstarter campaign, determing my rewards, creating my Kickstarter campaign page, setting up my budget, and more planning tasks.
One of my regrets looking back is that I didn’t start marketing my project sooner. The problem is that I was a bit ashamed/nervous/doubtful of my project because of its overly mature content. I had thoughts like “is this something I really want to attach my name to? Will people even like it? Find it funny?” And more. I had decided to wait until the preview pages were complete before I really began marketing activities, or even telling my friends and family about what I do in my spare time.
The preview pages were complete in December 2015 and I set a plan to launch in February 2016, giving me a month-and-half to promote. I set-up social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and Imgur. I began posting the work across these channels. I set-up a landing page where people could join a launch email list. All of these activities helped me create an initial fan base of about 90 emails (not an amazing number, but I felt it was enough to achieve my goal).
Another key activity I did pre-launch was press outreach. I created a press release that I distributed to over 40 journalists and comic/crowdfunding websites. This helped me get attention from over 10 media soures before and during the campaign, including Bleeding Cool, Comics Alliance and more. Some sites simply reposted my press release, some did an email Q&A interview with me, and some I did a live interview over Skype.
I also ran Facebook ads which helped increase my Facebook fans by about 30-40 pre-launch (cost was about $0.50 per new follower).

4) What was the Kickstarter launch like?

I chose February 1, 2016 as the day to launch my campaign. It was important to me that I didn’t waver on this date as I had been communicating it to my audience. After I hit launch, I sent a launch email to my email list, and posted across social media channels.
One important thing I learned during the campaign is that it is okay to rely on friends and family for support. Even though my personal network was only about 20% of my total fans, they had contributed almost 50% of campaign funds raised. It was important that I secured a few close friends/family willing to contribute very early in the campaign to help build hype. This helped me hit 40% of campaign goal within 24 hours, and 90% of my goal within the first week.
Probably the most important things that I did during my campaign was personal outreach. I made sure to send a personal message to every single person who backed my campaign. I also made sure to send personalized messages to all potential backers who engaged with me via other channels like social media or Reddit. As well, I chose certain Kickstarter campaigns running during mine that I supported with no strings attached, while also reaching out to these people to share ideas and tell them about my campaign.
I was amazed how many people from my writing site, Talentville, also pitched in to the campaign. These were people who were already fans of my writing for Morgan’s Organs, who had read prior versions of my script. This just goes to show why it is important to always be networking. I highly recommend all writers, whether for screenplays or comics, to join community websites like Reddit (i.e., r/comicbookcollabs) or Talentville and build a professioanl network.

5) Let’s talk about Post Kickstarter campaign

Results of Kickstarter: $5.5K raised (140% of goal) by 175 backers
Set up an account on BackerKit which helped me raise another $150-200 dollars from already backers. This site also helped me streamline my survey and fulfilment process. Highly recommend this service to others.
Did extensive work looking for the right printer. Tough to find a good quote in Canada, and with the volatility of the dollar at the time, it was expensive to print in the US. I decided to print in China, which was a risky move because I would have to print more than double what I was fulfilling in my campaign. However, the price per unit dropped significantly. I created a partnership with my selected Chinese printer, even getting a discounted rate in exchange for including their contact details on the inside cover of my book.
Knowing that I would be over-printing, I decided to also invest in an Artist Alley booth at Toronto’s Fan Expo in September. This was one of the best decisions I made. I more than doubled my email list from initial. Between my current Kickstarter fans and the new ones I gained at Fan Expo, my list is now about 400 highly engaged fans. I am well positioned for success in my next Kickstarter. I’d be happy to talk more about this experience in the podcast as I think its a great thing for people to consider post-Kickstarter campaign. I made over $1,000 over a 4-day event, selling over 150 books. The key to the success was personal selling. I wasn’t just sitting, waiting for people to come to my booth. I was talking to people as they walked by and really trying to drive interest.
One thing I did to save costs for backers in my first campaign, which helped make my campaign more appealing, was actually driving over the Canada/U.S. border to ship packages to U.S. backers. This allowed me to charge minimal amount to U.S. backers during the campaign. While it’s not a strategy that can work for everyone, I think the main takeaway here is that KS creators should always consider how they can go above-and-beyond to drive down costs and deliver more value to backers.

6) What’s Next Next steps

Book 2 script is now complete and the preview pages are in art production (likely are complete by the time of the podcast). We are completing 5 preview pages and cover art for the Kickstarter campaign page.
Planning to launch the next Kickstrater to fund the completion of Book 2 in early January.
Looking how I can deliver greater value in my next KS campaign from what I did before. I reached out to one of my favorite artists who draws for Image Comics and they are actually contributing a print poster to my campaign. As well, I am bringing on a new artist to draw the book sleeve for Book 2.
Again I will be engaging media before and during launch, and will continue to post across social media.

Speed Round

1) How would you finish the sentence, “Kickstarter is _______”

A testing ground.

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

4) Fulfillment is one area that trips up many creators. Do you have a fulfillment tip for our audience?

Look for shortcuts and money savers, and printing in China

5) Can you recommend one comic or book (not done by you) more people need to check out?

“Saints”

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLaunch Featured Resource: FreshBooks

Are you keeping good track of the finances for your creative business?

And if so, are you trying to do it with rough spreadsheets you created yourself in Excel that you’re undisciplined about keeping up to date?

Take it from me, who did that for waaay too long, you need to stop wasting time and start using Freshbooks.

Accounting can be frustrating… but FreshBooks makes it EASY.

FreshBooks is specially designed for small businesses and creative entreprenuers like us.

Freshbooks saves you TIME by letting you Import expenses automatically from linked accounts and attach receipts to invoices so that come tax time, you’ll be organized and ready, not scrambling and in a full on panic.

FreshBooks also makes you look more professional and gets you paid faster with their fast branded invoicing options, and the ability to accept payments online.

FreshBooks keeps you up to date on your numbers, with beautiful automatically generated profit and loss statements, tax summaries, expense reports and more.

If you believe you add the most value to the world when you’re spending your time creating your next masterpiece rather than bean counting, then you owe it to yourself to give Freshbooks a try.

To get your time back and take control of your creative business finances once and for all, go toComixLaunch.com/freshbooks for a free-30 day trial, and I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [074]Ask yourself “Do I have the right people around me to get constructive feedback from?” If not, make this a priority.

Wrap Up

Quote

“The superheroes you have in your mind (idols, icons, titans, billionaires, etc.) are nearly all walking flaws who’ve maximized 1 or 2 strengths. Humans are imperfect creatures. You don’t “succeed” because you have no weaknesses; you succeed because you find your unique strengths and focus on developing habits around them. Everyone is fighting a battle you know nothing about… Everyone struggles. Take solace in that.” – Tim Ferriss

Thanks for Listening.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Wrap Up Questions
1) One final piece of advice
2) What has you most excited?
3) What’s the best way for listeners to connect?

We did it. We survived the 2016 US Presidential Election. (Knock on wood.) In this non-partisan episode featuring a guest lesson from Clay Adams of Fried Comics, we’ll breakdown actionable and positive lessons Kickstarter creators can take away from the nastiest campaign ever.

Special guest training courtesy of Clay Adams from Fried Comics.
Clay is doing great stuff, working with him in the ListLaunch course, he pitched me this idea. Can read a version at the ComixLaunch blog as well.

Course Updates / Shoutouts

ListLaunch is Closed Down for a Bit.
Ready for Launch workshop

ComixLaunch Course — Will open in January. Join Mastery Students.ComixLaunch.com/Course to get on the advanced notification list.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to highlight our featured vendor…

This episode’s featured vendor is StickerMule custom stickers and more. Go to ComixLaunch.com/stickermule and get a $10 credit on your next order.

So, I just re-ordered another batch of custom diecut C is for Cthulhu refrigerator magnets from the fine folks at StickerMule… and our fans have gone absolutely nuts for these things. Who knew.
When you’re planning your Kickstarter rewards you definitely want to consider unique swag and custom items.

Backers love them…
And you’ll love them because they add perceived value and higher margins to your campaigns.

StickerMule is one of my favorite vendors for Stickers, Labels, Magnets and more. We’re talking:

Diecut stickers

circle, square, rectangular and oval stickers.

Bumper stickers

Clear stickers

Kiss Cut Sktckers

Transfer stickers

Sticker sheets — (Doing these for your characters is awesome.

Even Giant sized wall and floor graphics.

Check out the website and I guarantee you’re going to get some ideas… and it’s a great company to just try out because they allow really small orders with super fast turnaround times.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [073]List 3 things that you absolutely hate. Then write one reason you are grateful for each of those things.

Wrap Up

Show Summary / Final Lessons

I know this is a very emotional topic. It caused me to come to terms with not just how divided, but how bipolar this country truly is. That we could elect Barack Obama in historic numbers, twice, and then elect as his successor a man who in embodies the polar opposite of him, and who also rose to political prominence discounting his legitimacy… it’s baffling to me.
I’m concerned we opened Pandora’s box in this election and there are some things we won’t ever be able to undo…
At the same time, I believe in the goodness of most people and that the arc of human history bends toward the light not the darkness.

A few bonus lessons

1) Challenge conventional wisdom and the status quo
Can’t bring myself to praise the president elect, but he did this.
Don’t want to release your taxes… dont
Don’t spend money on ads when the media will put you on for free…
What assumptions and status quo are we accepting? Maybe price? Maybe size or format? Maybe ways to market?

2) Never count chickens. Only count eggs.
Clinton campaign won on every metric (polls, get out the vote effort, ad spending, fundraising, volunteers)… except the one that ultimately counted– votes in the battleground states
We can spend a lot of time focusing on things that really don’t matter— likes, hearts, page views… what matters is customers, diehard fans

3) Define yourself before someone else does
The key to Trumps victory in the primary was his ability to define his opponents and himself in contrast to them.
Spent too much time trying to define him, without selling herself and her message.
What are you all about? What do you bring to the table that no one else does? What are you known for or do you want to be known for?

In this session, Tyler and Searnold of Completely Different Comics discuss their experience keeping a Patreon Launch Journal for 30 Days, where they committed to taking action and tracking results for their respective Patreon launches for a month. Lots of insight on what works when it comes to building your Patronage.

One more READY FOR LAUNCH workshop — How to get your comic & graphic novel funded WITHOUT a big following on social media.ComixLaunch.com/ready
Just Launched

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guest Introduction

My guest today is the creative force behind Complete Different Comics, where he delivers up a new stand-alone comic short on the first of every month, giving him the opportunity to work with lots of talented artists. He recently jumped head first into the Patreon platform and kept a 30-Day Launch Journal which he shared publicly charting his actions and results to get his Patreon off the ground. Growing the audience and reach of CDC and launching a successful Kickstarter are in the cards for him in 2017.

1) Before we get started, tell me a little bit about Completely Different Comics and your work?

2) Okay, so, let’s dig into the Patreon Launch 30 Day challenge. What was it about the challenge that inspired you to take action on it? What was your initial goal? And how were you feeling about it before you launched?

3) What did you find out when creating your Patreon page and planning your launch that surprised you?

4) Where did your first Patrons come from? How did you get them to your page, and what did seeing that first pledge come through feel like.

5) 30 Days focused on anything can be tough… how tough was this challenge for you? What would you have liked to have done better or would you do differently in the future?

6) Where are you now with Patreon, and what do you see for your Patreon Page going forward?

Speed Round

1) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Patreon are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Patreon platform, what would it be?

To be able to interact with people on Patreon who follow you and receive updates but haven’t yet backed you.

4) Can you recommend one comic or book (not done by you) more people need to check out?

Ryan North “Dinosaur Comics”

Brian Clevenger’s “Atomic Robo”

Aganan Beck “Space Corps”

Ben Templesmith “Black Holers”

All on Patreon

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Club ComixLaunch

ComixLaunch listeners, are you ready to take your crowdfunding game to the next level?
If so, I’d love for you to join me and your fellow creators inside Club ComixLaunch on Patreon.
I’ve opened Club ComixLaunch to help continue and expand on the ComixLaunch mission of increasing the number of creators equipped to harness the power of the Kickstarter platform to bring amazing independent projects to life.
As a Club ComixLaunch member, you’ll have access to a number of exclusive perks and privileges, such as:

A shout out on the ComixLaunch Podcast for you and your project.

Access to the ComixLaunch Club exclusive Patreon feed for even more mindset, strategies and tactics to get your project funded.

The ComixLaunch Club Insider Monthly Kickstarter Resource which might be a guide, checklist, cheat sheet, template, or bonus training video designed to help you launch.

Priority enrollment in ComixLaunch Courses

Discounts on Courses, Books and Upcoming Premium Products

You can even sponsor an episode of the ComixLaunch podcast through Patreon.

And as the Club Grows, so do the perks…
See, there is a direct correlation between listener support and the value ComixLaunch can provide, and as the club expands, we hope to offer:

Monthly Kickstarter Page Critiques

Club Exclusive Chats and Q&As

Bonus Sessions of the ComixLaunch Podcast.

Full podcast transcripts for every episode.

And much more!

For as little as a dollar a month, you can access Club ComixLaunch today, help keep the podcast going and improving, and take your crowdfunding game to the next level.
Membership has its privileges, and to get a taste of them absolutely free, please go toComixLaunch.com/club and download a free Club ComixLaunch VIP Insider bonus resources today.

Let’s get you ready for your best launch yet!
I’ll see you inside the Club!

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [072]What’s something measurable that you want to improve?

Wrap Up

Quote“We are not creatures of circumstance, we are creators of circumstance.” – Benjamin Disraeli

Thanks for Listening.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.
Wrap Up Questions
1) One final piece of advice
2) What has you most excited?
3) What’s the best way for listeners to connect?

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

“NOW is the best time in the entire history of the comic book industry to be a self-publisher.” At least that’s the perspective of Kirk Lindo, who brings more than 25 years of comics publishing experience to the table. Tyler and Kirk talk the evolution of comics publishing in this session, and Kirk also shares one tip that has doubled his productivity this year.

This session’s featured resource is Bluehost.

Session Table Setting

Would you like to know how self-publishing has changed over the past twenty years from a creator who has been in the trenches since the early 90s?
I have an absolutely KILLER interview with a creator who brings a great perspective on the past, present, and bright future of comics… you’re going to love this one. I know I did.

Listener Feedback

“We ended up launching All the King’s Men on Kickstarter, smashed through our modest goal in the first five hours, and are now sitting pretty at 220% funded after just one day. Obviously having a good product at a good price is an important part of the equation, but I credit a great deal of this campaign’s easy-come success and reduced-stress process to the advice I’ve soaked up from the ComixLaunch podcast. The podcast got me thinking about accessible logos, the content of the project’s by-line, different options for standing out, and what information is most critical when writing a project description. It’s made the whole process much easier than my previous campaigns, almost intuitive.” (Shane W Smith, All the King’s Men)

Show Updates

Ready For Launch Workshop

Having a blast with them… I’m going to do one more in 2016!
Free Online Workshop
How to Get your Comic Book or GN Project funded WITHOUT a Large following on social media.ComixLaunch.com/ready to register.
Tech worked wonderfully! My beautiful slides worked!

Club ComixLaunch

VIP Resource – A Ninja software tool that I designed makes it super easy and quick to take Comic book pages and cut them into single panels. A while back, I mentioned the idea aloud to a few of the engineers at the game design studio I’ve worked for.
The next day, one of the engineers came in and had a working prototype. Especially useful for creating quick social media sharing images. Useful for chopping up good resolution panels for making comic teaser trailers and Kickstarter videos. All VIPs have access to it right now!ComixLaunch.com/patreon to support the show and get access.

Super Cool, Super Secret December / Holiday bonus resource.
I will be acknowledging some new Patrons at the end of this show.

Platform Updates

Kickstarter Live
Gamechanger.
Will be doing a dedicated show about it.
Encourage you to go to live.kickstarter.com sometime this week to get a feel for it and for the possibilities.

Patreon Scheduled Posts
Patreon now supports the ability to schedule posts.
Before you could publish or draft… anyone with a blog knows the scheduled post feature is super desirable.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guest Introduction
My guest today has been making comics and selling comics since the 4th grade.
He studied comics and sequential art under Will Eisner at The School of Visual Arts in Manhatten, and was Editor-In-Chief at Personality Comics in the Early 90s where he worked with creators including Jimmy Palmiotti, Adam Hughes, Jason Pearson & Brian Stelfreeze among others.
He also has experience as an art director for an Ad agency and Marketing Director for a large sportwear company.
Over the past three years, he’s returned to comics with a vengeance, publishing 33 books, and harnessing the power of the Kickstarter platform.

Welcome to ComixLaunch, Kirk Lindo.

I’m really excited to talk to you because… you bring a wealth of experience and hard won insight, and have a perspective that many of our younger listeners do not.
What is Today’s Episode About?
We’re going to talk about self-publishing past and present.

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) You recently gave a lecture on a publishing panel in which you opened it up with the bold statement that “NOW is the best time in the entire history of the comic book industry to be a self publisher.” You are someone who has been doing this a long time, and bring a long perspective on this… I happen to agree with you by the way, but I’ll ask you to lay out the case for your argument.

Speed Round

1) How would you finish this sentence: “Kickstarter is _____”

A life changer if you do it right

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

4) Fulfillment is an area where even successful Kickstarter creators often drop the ball. Do you have a fulfillment tip for our listeners?

Pack nicely

5) Can you recommend one comic or book (not done by you) more people need to check out?

Star Power

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

BLUEHOST

Let me ask you a question… are you master of your own domain?
No, this isn’t a dated Seinfeld reference… I’m talking about your web domain.
And Bluehost is an all in one web hosting solution that will help you master your domain.
I own the domains for ComixTribe.com, ComixLaunch.com and many more… but I know many of you are trying to save a few pennies a day by NOT paying for domains you’re trying to build brands around.
That’s a mistake.
Owning your own domain provides better branding

More professional.
More credible.
More memorable.

When you own the dot com for your brand, it’ll help you protect it.
If you’re building your empire on someone else land, your comic @facebook or @tumblr or remember @myspace God forbid… you don’t control those platforms.

Own your own domain…

You can use the ComixLaunch affiliate link to get a special introductory offer and 30-day money back guarantee at Bluehost by going to Comixlaunch.com/bluehost today.
Bluehost powers more than 2 million websites world wide and makes it super simple to get a wordpress hosted website up in just one click.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [071]

Now, this ComixLauncher is going to make more sense to you when you hear the rest of the interview with Kirk… but here’s what I want you to do.

When you thinking about your productivity… imagine a scale from 0 to Four.

0 being NOT productive at all.4 Being BEAST MODE productivity.1, 2, 3 being in between.

Now, write out.. a quick sentence or two for what each level of productivity looks like for each level. How many pages scripted is a 1?How many panels drawn in a day is a 2?How many editors contacted is a 3?Whatever thing you’re measuring… or judging yourself on, think about what each of those levels actually looks like. And then the last thing…One a scale of 0-4, what was yesterday? What was or will today be?And what does tomorrow look like?

Invite to share your scale with me @ comixlaunch.com/voicemail or in an email [email protected]

Wrap Up Questions

1) One final piece of advice
2) What has you most excited?
3) What’s the best way for listeners to connect?

Special Thanks to Patrons

Philip from Leviathan Studo and House of Imagi, is a GOLD VIP Club ComixLaunch Insider.
Also working with Philip inside the ComixLaunch Mastery Program… excited to be working with him.
You can check out his comic Requiem for a Grieving hero over at line Webtoons, where it’s being serialized.Cody Stewart.
Cody Stewart upcoming Kickstarter for The Slip.
Cody was in the pilot version of the ComixLaunch Course, and will be launching in January I believe.
Working hard and it shows.M.K. Palmer (Meraki) and James Whiting (Margo Integalactic Trash Collecter), also from the ComixLaunch Course pilot, and I’ve sung their praises on this show before. Thanks again for your support in helping the show continue to come out like clock work.Big Tim
My name is Big Tim. I am an independent comic book writer.
His book Cthulhu Williams… gotta check it out on name alone.
Has a Patreon over at patreon.com/bigtimJames Powell
James is writer of Ten31 Publishing. Horror comics for Kids.
Been working with James a lot inside the ListLaunch Course, and I know he has some Kickstarters in the works for 2017… excited for him to get into the game.
Recently had shoulder surgery and is on the mend.

There are more to call out… but we’re out of time. So until next time…

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Next up: The Return of the Patreon Launch series… we’ll talk to a creator who took me up on the 30 Day Patreon Launch challenge… he took action, he got results, and we’re going to share them with you next week.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Today’s guest is a writer, model, cosplayer, and host of the podcast Vodka O’Clock. Tyler and Amber discuss a wide range of topics, including releasing books via Kindle and Amazon Createspace, the challenges of making big changes to your Patreon format, what it takes to do NANOWRIMO, and how to build a better, more inclusive comic book industry.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

Session Table Setting

In the ComixLaunch Podcast, I’ve been talking a lot about “building an audience” lately and how absolutely important that is to crowdfunding success.

But some of my listeners have taken me to task for it lately, and I’ve been hit with a bunch of “Yeah, buts…”

“Yeah, but how big an audience do I actually need to launch a Kickstarter?”
“Yeah, but how to do I get started building an audience when no one knows I exist?”
“Yeah, but what if I [hate, suck at, don’t know how] to promote my work?”

I get it.
And honestly, I LOVE the “Yeah, buts…”
Because “yeah, but…” is an indicator that the very next thing that follows is a pothole in a creator’s road to success.
And that’s largely how I view my job here at ComixLaunch…
I’m looking for the potholes creators like us are hitting and I’m trying to fill them to the absolute best of my ability.

Ready for Launch: How to Get Your Comic Book & Graphic Novel Project Funded on Kickstarter… Without a Big Social Media Following

Workshop attendees will learn:

✔ Why a big social media following is NOT a prerequisite to Kickstarter success… and what definitely is.
✔ Where Kickstarter backers really come from and the best way to get them to support you on Day One.
✔ The #1 mistake that most failed Kickstarters make, and what successful project creators do differently.
✔ How to figure out how big your audience needs to be to have success on Kickstarter, and what to do to prepare them for your upcoming campaign.
✔ My Top Tech Tool recommendations for building and engaging with your growing audience in preparation for your launch.

Plus: Special Bonuses for Live Attendees & a Q&A Session to get your Kickstarter questions answered.

Note: Prior registration is required. Unfortunately, there will not be a replay available for this training, so hope you can make it live. (If there’s demand, I may do an encore at some point.)
I’m going to do a few more Workshops between now and the end of the year… pick a time that works for you and join me!

Guest Introduction

My guest today is a writer, model, cosplayer, and host of the podcast Vodka O’Clock.

Her comic book fiction work has appeared in the Rise: Comics Against Bullying and Shakespeare Shaken anthologies among others.
And her latest novel, Full Body Manslaughter, the 2nd book in her Farrah Wethers Mystery series, was just released in Kindle and Paperback format on Amazon.

Welcome to ComixLaunch, Amber Love.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) Creatively, you keep a lot of plates spinning, and that’s something I resonate with. When I’m being hard on myself I call it “creative ADD” and when I’m being generous I might say I’m a “Renaissance Man.” I think the term “Renaissance Woman” would apply nicely to you… but I’m wondering if you could tell us a bit about your journey as a writer/creator and what aspects of your art are you most passionate about now?

2) On the ComixLaunch podcast, we primarily talk about Crowdfunding Comics & Graphic Novels on Kickstarter… but in the title of the show, I included “…and Beyond!” because I knew I’d want to talk about other platforms… You’ve published work on the Amazon platform, using both Kindle and CreateSpace. Can you tell us about that experience?

4) Making the comic book industry and comics internet a better place for female creators is an issue you’re passionate about… and have been since you started blogging and writing in 2006. As we’re ending 2016, how do you think that progress is going? Are things getting better, worse, or unchanged for female creators? And what 1-2 things would you like to see happen over the next few years that could make a better industry for everyone.

5)NANOWRIMO is this month… and you’re doing it again! What’s that experience like, and why does that grueling challenge to write a novel in a month keep pulling you back in!

Speed Round

1) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Patreon are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

4) Can you recommend one comic or book (not done by you) more people need to check out?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Luminous Ages

Luminous Ages is a fantasy comic set in a universe where dragons, humans, gods, titans, demons, angels and beasts have the ability to control dream magic!
Created by Australian writer/artist Anthony Christou, the adventure begins with a young farm boy, Thrakos, going through a painful transformation to become a Mage of the Mark. What path will he choose? What secret has his father been hiding from him? And why are dragons hunting him in the dreamworld?

It’s a full-color paperback comic available now on Kickstarter, and includes a bonus concept art book full of dragons and magic, that expands on existing and future characters and environments in the comic!

The first issue of Luminous Ages and the Concept Artbook is finished and can be ordered now.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [070] The next time you read something outrageous in your head online that sends your lizard brain wild… stop. Remind yourself that this clearly WRONG person was once a baby… and imagine just a few big moments in his/her life that resulted in that comment or action. One, it’s a good thought exercise for the writers out there. Two, it’ll train that all important often underveloped part of the emotional spectrum… Empathy.

In future episodes we’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Bringing on a self-publisher who first started making and selling comics in the 4th grade, was a veteran of the 90s boom and bust of independent publishing, and after a long hiatus, is back with a vengence and feels now is the GREATEST TIME to be a creator.

You’re going to enjoy that interview!

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

How do you get the people within your reach off the fence and into your campaign as an engaged backer? In this second part of a two-part mini-training, Tyler shares a load of ideas on how to encourage the 4 different types of “sideliners” to support your project.

This episode’s featured vendor is StickerMule custom stickers and more. Go to ComixLaunch.com/stickermule and get a $10 credit on your next order.

Session Table Setting

Welcome back.
Here’s Part 2 of a Two Part Training that, especially if you’re in the middle of a Kickstarter right now, or are about to launch one, could be the most important training you need right now.

In you haven’t listened to Part One, ComixLaunch.com/session068 Hit pause on this one and go listen to that now. It’s good!
We lay the groundwork, the foundation and cover the psychology of the sideliners in Part 1. In part 2, we’re going to talk about how that understanding gets put into practice, with loads of examples.

Acknowledge

Sam Costello
Split Lip Kickstarter – Sam joined us ComixLaunch.com/session063 to talk about the relaunch of his Kickstarter campaign.
Sam discussed his relaunch plan on this show, and we brainstormed together some ideas.
Happy to report that Sam’s relaunch was a success… and in fact, earned the support of more backers than his previous failed Kickstarter launch.
So, we’re thrilled for Sam, and again, we love stories like this… not about never getting knocked down, it’s about picking yourself back up, learning lessons, making changes, and trying again.

Jenny Wood

Flutter Kickstarter a success!
We heard from Jenny on ComixLaunch.com/session065
Exceeded her goal which will help bring her series to a close and to print.

Joe Schmalke
Whore of Babylon campaign – wrapped up recently.
3rd campaign… first time he broke into the 5 Figure level, raising over 11K in funding.
Joe a friend of the show and semi-local creator.
Could be wrong, but I think he put a few ideas in the ComixLaunch Kickstarter Update Guide to tremendous use.ComixLaunch.com/Club to get free copy of that guide, and also a taste of what being a member of Club ComixLaunch on Patreon is like.

Listener Feedback

My favorite time… Negative Feedback

Review Posted on iTunes

Good, but too much filler – 2 Stars

Okay, I want to say just a few things about this.
Last time I shared a negative review, I heard from a few listeners who said that review made them angry, and we had a good laugh about that. I share the review, though, not to get sympathy, empathy, or as a call to arms for listeners to come to my defense or anything. I share it because it’s an opportunity for a bit of a teachable moment…

When you create anything and put it out into the world, it is no longer just yours.

Your art is your art, and other people’s reception, interpretation, acceptance, or in the case of this reviewers rejection of it is theirs.
There was a time when reading a review like that about something that I’ve created would have consumed me. Would have forced me to curl up into a little ball and question every single thing I’ve done on this show since the very beginning. Would have paralyzed me and derailed me and would have caused me to stop going.

Thankfully, now is not that time, and I’ve gotten better at dealing with and accepting criticism for what it is… one person’s truth a given moment in time.

And I want you guys listening to this to know that this will happen to you too if you’re brave enough to do what, frankly, most people in this world are not… and that’s to put yourself and your work and your art out there into the world for judgement, for acceptance, and yes, for rejection.
Criticism is never easy to hear, but it isn’t something to fear.

But I will be perfectly honest… getting a review like that gets a whole lot easier to take when the very next review is:

Required Listening – 5 Stars Tyler James and the ComixLaunch podcast are indespensible…

All that said, CC Lia, I do want to thank you for a few points:

1) I do want to up my podcasting game.
I’m about a year and a half into this thing… and there are a ton of things I want to improve and get better at as a podcaster/broadcaster.
I’ve recorded roughly 60 hours of episodes… which is a long, long way from my 10K hours.
And in-particular, I want to make sure that this show is a good use of my listeners precious time… and I’m certainly always considering ways to make it more efficient, more actionable, and more effective for my listeners.

2) I do want to let you know that there’s a reason why I take my time on some of these things. Sure, most of the episode of ComixLaunch I could bullet the main ideas and take aways on post-it note. And maybe there’s an alternate reality version of this show that’s a minute long as an episode. At the same time, as an educator with a M.Ed from Harvard, I know that most learners don’t learn and retain bullet points… unless they’re grounded in story, and explained in some depth, and misconceptions are debunked, and examples are given, and so on. So, that’s why it’s not just bullets and tips and see you next week. Can I get better at delivering the content efficiently. You bet I hope so. But for me personally, I tend to like the 30-60 minutes of podcasting… and I know listeners like Enrica Jang of Crossing and Red Stylo Media listens to this show on the treadmill and I can’t cut her runs too short now, can I?

3) And as far as time on the podcast spent talking about the other things of value I have to offer you and the rest of my listeners, be they my projects, comics, the books and projects of my guests, and the courses that are helping creators like you take their games to the next level and get results and bring more art bravely into this world, well, I’m going to give that a #sorrynotsorry. Because I believe in what I’m doing, I’m passionate about it, and I believe it would be a disservice not to tell my listeners about it.
And if you, CC Lia, are creating art that you believe in and are passionate about and think will make the world and the lives of your audience and the people within your reach better… and hope you will have the bravery to tell us about it, too.
Again, though, I appreciate your truth, and you taking the time to review the show. ComixLaunch.com/review

I did get a huge kick out of the suggestion that I’ve brainwashed the listeners and made them drink the ComixLaunch Kool-aid over here for those 5 star reviews… but as Rick and Joe and Sam and so many others who have put the ComixLaunch principles to good use in their own creative life are killing it show,
“If the Kool-Aid works, keep drinking it.”
I might have to put that on a t-shirt.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Training Show

Recap Part 1

Derek Halpern SocialTriggers.com for the framework.

Your Reach

Take My Money

Not Interested

Sideliners

Indifferent

Don’t care

Skeptical

Don’t believe you

Worrier

Don’t believe in themselves

Procrastinator

Don’t want to act now.

Everyone Else – Ignore

1.How to Make the Indifferent care

The Indifferent’s biggest barrier is that they don’t care about what you’re selling.

That doesn’t mean they aren’t a fit, it just means you need to show them why they should care.

Key Idea – Why is your project important and who is it important for? Why are you the right person to tell it? Why now? Why does it matter?

Example 1

The Mighty Titan

Joe Martino – Tapped into his Why

Example 2

Align you project with a cause, and idea, a pain point, a troublespot…

Pick an edge – Vanilla sells by established brands and market leaders, but YOU will never break into the icecream market with vanilla as your selling point.

What do your ideal readers care about?

Biggest Publishing project of all-time, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls tapped into this brilliantly.

Concept of a storybook with short biographies about women is not a revolutionary concept…

100 bedtime storiesabout the life of 100 extraordinary women from the past and the present, illustrated by 100 female artists from every corner of the globe.

we unlocked our Surprise Stretch Goal! Which means that next January 2017 we will fly to Rwanda for 7 days of workshops for children and grown ups about female leadership. We are partnering with The Art House Rwanda, a local collective of artists based in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda and one of the most vibrant cities in East Africa.

“Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls” will not only be an opportunity to inspire young girls through the adventures of these unconventional women,

And that’s what you have to do when you’re dealing with The Indifferent.

You need to figure out what they really care about and then show them how your product will help them get it.

ComixLaunch Podcasts to Listen to follow up on this:

Kwanza

Jenny ComixLaunch.com/session065

#2 How to Make The Skeptic Trust You

The Skeptic’s biggest barrier is that they don’t trust you. They don’t trust that you’ll deliver what you’re promising, or that it’ll be as good as you say it is. They may even go so far as to think you’re a scammer.

Like with The Indifferent, sometimes we blame The Skeptics for their attitude and get defensive. You might be tempted to say, “No, you’re wrong! I’ll prove it to you!”

This will scare them away. It will put them on the defensive, and make them think you’ve got something to hide.

And that’s why you should welcome skepticism openly.

Even if you readily say, “I can relate. I used to think… But now I have a new way of looking at things. And here’s why…”

Do you see how that calmly switches their skepticism into a story about why they should buy?

The trick?

You meet the skeptic where they are, whether you tell a story about yourself or one of your fans, and gently take them towards your desired end result…the sale.

The longer you’ve been at this, assuming you’ve been doing things the right way, the less the ammunition the Skeptics have to work with.

Guys like Joe Schmalke or Jenny Wood are going to have less skeptics with 2 previous successful KS under their belt than someone like Rick Marks, who’s doing his first creator owned book and first Kickstater.

For those reasons, Rick made the very smart decision to set a relatively small and attainable Kickstarter goal and focus on digital rewards.

When Rick delivers… he’s going to have what all of us should be working on every single day… a track record of success.

Rick is earning the right to go after and set bigger goals on KS and elsewhere.

This is why Skin in the game is key?

Who are you more likely to support.

Kickstarter from a guy with an idea a few sketches and 100 words of copy on a KS page?

Kickstarter with a guy with an idea, a team, 25% finished, a clear and detailed time-table for finishing, a detailed budget breakdow, a well written FAQ and Risks section?

In practice, social proof is what you’re looking to add to your campaigns to help make the skeptics believe you’re good for it.

John Lees – At NYCC SINK #1. Videos. Gold.

Critical reviews from established sites.

Blurbs from known creators in same space.

Actual customers.

Sales of previous books.

#1 determination of whether or not a book will sell in the book market. Did the last book by the author sell?

#3 How to Make the Worrier Believe In Themselves

The Worrier’s biggest barrier is themselves. They can’t stop WORRYING. They always think, “I’m not the type of person who can back this. What if I try and then I fail? Will I feel stupid later if I back this?”

The bottom line is: Worriers don’t think they’re the kind of person who can benefit from your product or service. And that’s what keeps them from buying.

Now, most people think that the best way to deal with The Worrier is to tell them not to worry.

But instead of getting The Worrier to stop worrying, it pushes them away.

Detail the process step by step.

Offer a satisfaction guarantee.

Give a free sample.

Offer a range of pledges.

But the point is that you MUST anticipate and address the worry before your prospect even thinks of it.

#4 How to Make the Procrastinator Stop Procrastinating

The Procrastinator’s biggest barrier is procrastination.

Unlike The Indifferent, these Sideliners already want what you’re promising. Unlike The Skeptics, they already trust you. And unlike The Worriers, they believe that they can benefit from what you’re selling…

…But there’s still something holding them back.

They think, “Do I really need this now? Can I wait and see if something better comes along?”

For whatever reason, they don’t see why a purchase has to happen right now, so they put it off forever.

How can you get The Procrastinator to act now?

Wrong Move

Kickstarter Exclusive!!!!

And then you make it available after the Kickstarter. (Even worse, at a discount)

Scammy.

Doesn’t Kickstart.

Kickstarter should be the start of selling season for your projects not the end of it.

No one likes to feel pressured or manipulated.

The good news is that you can get Procrastinators to act now without being sleazy. How? Show them how acting now is in their benefit.

Truly limited pledges.

Original art or covers.

Limited # of script critiques.

2 spots to be a character in the book.

The antidote to Procrastination is FOMO.

So, there need to be something they miss out on.

The Standard Campaign

– John Lees live workshop on horror writing.

Backers only invite.

Truly limited, because can’t go back in time.

Only Live once.

The Clockticking Bonus

Day One Bonuses

Ryan K Lindsay – $3+ Level Bundle of 4 bonus comics from him or creators he’s worked with or networked with. Believe there’s a ComixTribe title in there as well.

Ryan will be coming on the show for a Digital Comics Kickstarter Masterclass soon… a 201 session to the 101 we did last year.

Great strategy… if you have access to great bonus rewards like Ryan. But what if you don’t?

One of the problems I’m trying to solve within the ComixLaunch Course… ComixLaunch Exchange.

ComixLaunch.com/course

Mid-Campaign /Deadzone bonuses.

Don’t ever punish your early backers… add value to them.

The point is that you can get Procrastinators to act now by giving them an incentive

The controversial Discount… (But don’t discount)!

You don’t want them thinking about price, you want them thinking about product and value.

But, Discounts are also powerful.

Test!

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to highlight our featured vendor…

This episode’s featured vendor is StickerMule custom stickers and more. Go to ComixLaunch.com/stickermule and get a $10 credit on your next order.

So, I just re-ordered another batch of custom diecut C is for Cthulhu refrigerator magnets from the fine folks at StickerMule… and our fans have gone absolutely nuts for these things. Who knew.
When you’re planning your Kickstarter rewards you definitely want to consider unique swag and custom items.

Backers love them…
And you’ll love them because they add perceived value and higher margins to your campaigns.

StickerMule is one of my favorite vendors for Stickers, Labels, Magnets and more. We’re talking:

Diecut stickers

circle, square, rectangular and oval stickers.

Bumper stickers

Clear stickers

Kiss Cut Sktckers

Transfer stickers

Sticker sheets — (Doing these for your characters is awesome.

Even Giant sized wall and floor graphics.

Check out the website and I guarantee you’re going to get some ideas… and it’s a great company to just try out because they allow really small orders with super fast turnaround times.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [069][Activity description]1) How will you make the worrier comfortable? 2) How will you make the the procrastinator act now?

Why So Important
Invite to share results @ comixlaunch.com/voicemail or in an email [email protected]

Wrap Up

Okay, we just wrapped up a Killer 2 part series on getting those sideliners off the sidelines and into your campaigns as backers.
I gave you ComixLaunchers the past two weeks to brainstorm ideas for how you might address the four types of sideliners.
Seriously, that 4 quadrant exercise could be the key to your entire marketing efforts… because that’s where your time should be spent.

Any special announcements
Bring on the guests… I’m getting serious about packing Q4 with some of the best guests we’ve ever had on the podcast. You all are in for a tremendous treat coming up.

Quote “Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.” – Mark Twain

Can’t beat Mr. Clemons.

I hope, wherever you are and whatever you’re doing next, you exit this podcast feeling a little more empowered. A little more energetic. A little more hopeful. And a little more great.

In future episodes, We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

How do you convince potential backers sitting on the sidelines to support you Kickstarter campaigns? In this first of a two-part session, Tyler delves into the psychology of the “sideliner” as well as the 4 secrets to getting them off the fence and into the backer column.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Session Table Setting

Listener Feedback

Wow Tyler! I cannot convey how grateful I am to you and Comixlaunch, but I will try. Earlier this year I was asked to be a part of an anthology. So, I started putting something together. Well, the anthology fell apart and I had a partial story. I usually draw other peoples projects, and that is great, but this was the first time I was going to do the whole thing myself. (although, I eventually had help with the colors.) Short story long, I stretched and added some stuff and had a comic of my own. Well now what? I immediately thought of Kickstarter, but knew I had no audience. Oh sure I had drawn a couple books for other people, but no real following. Hell, I didn’t even know where to start. Thats when I found your podcast. I started at the beginning and listened to every episode while I worked on my pages for other people. I started to see the path. And any question I had, you’ve answered. Even now, I just launched and was trying to figure out how often I should update. -Bam- Tyler already sent you that info dummy. The books you recommended are great. I especially like Kickstarter for the independent creator by M. Holly-Rosing. I have opened that book at least once every day since I finished reading it and started to put my plan together. Your episode with her is what prompted me to buy it. I am happy to report my book is over 80% funded in just over 24 hours. There is no doubt in my mind, I couldn’t have done that without you and ComixLaunch. No way.

Course Updates / Shoutouts

ComixLaunch Mastery will be open for just a few more days.
The caliber of creators is exciting, and the projects they’ll be creating are ones I’m excited to be a part of. The community that we’re building between new creators and alumni is special.
What’s great is that creators in this community can work at their own paces.

Pilot version of the ComixLaunch Course – 4 creators launched projects within weeks of class wrapping up… but some of the creators needed more time.
Cody Stewart, working on The Slip, launching soon, getting his Kickstarter page going. Has access to all the ComixLaunch course materials and getting incredible feedback in the Private FB Group.
These are connections and a support system that’s ongoing… excited to be welcoming more creators into the family.

ComixLaunch.com/mastery to learn more and enroll.
Enrollment closes at Tuesday at Midnight EDT.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Four Secrets to Getting Potential Backers Off the Sidelines

Credit to Derek Halpern of SocialTriggers.com for this framework.
Derek’s specialty is intersection of marketing and psychology, two topics that many of you have spent not much time studying.
And in truth, I ignored those two topics for a long time, much to my own detriment.

In my day job I designed and produced a marketing simulation game for McGraw-Hill that’s been played by tens of thousands of college students and sold over a million dollars in sales.
In designing that game, had to be a bit of a crash course in marketing and become a mini-expert.
It was eye-opening. There were so many things I WASN’T doing as a creator. And it really hit me in the last couple of years… our books were exceeding my ability to sell them.

Two things for sales success:

Exceptional Products
Exceptional marketing

Books were doing their job, marketing wasn’t. That’s on ME.
I needed to get better… for my Tribe. For my collaborators. And for creators like you who listen to me and have come to look to me for guidance on things.

So, SocialTriggers.com and Derek Halpern is one of many of the experts I’ve studied and learned from.

Boil the World into two Categories:

Your Reach – People exposed to your campaign –
On Kickstarter, will range from hundreds to millions.

Everyone Else – People Not exposed to your campaign
99.99999% of the population for most campaigns and creators. We’re going to ignore these folks today.

Your Reach – People Exposed to Your Campaign, will break down into three groups.

These are the people who have known about you for quite sometime, and they don’t need much convincing.
They know, like and trust you.
They’re already sold, and they just need something to buy.
These will be your day one backers.
They’ve bought from you in the past, or bought stuff like you’re offering in the past.
They’ve backed your previous campaigns.
The whole game is getting enough of these people into your Reach… with enough Take My Money Backers, success is never in doubt. Game over, you win every single time.

2nd Group – “The Non-Backers” or “The Non Buyers.”

These are the people who will NEVER back your KS projects.
You could be the best salesperson in the world, and there’s nothing you can do to convince them to buy.
Maybe they don’t have the funds.
Maybe they’re just not interested in your product.
Maybe they’re a competitor watching you to research what you’re doing?
Maybe they only buy their comics at the direct market, or at comic shops.
Maybe they’ve been burned one too many times on KS.
Whatever the case, they’re not backing your project, no matter what you do.

The Final Group — Are what Halpern calls “The Sideliners.”

The sideliners are the people who could buy, should buy, but for whatever reason, haven’t made up their mind yet… they’re just sitting on the sidelines.
When talking about your REACH, the people who have come in contact with your KS page or campaign marketing in some form or another, “The Sideliners” are going to be the biggest group. Backers might be 1%. Non-Backers maybe 32%. The rest, 2/3rd of your reach are sideliners…
That’s it! You convert enough sideliners, you win! Your project gets funded, and after you deliver an exceptional campaign experience, fulfill your backers pledges on time, your “Take My Money Backers” count goes up so that you’re starting your next Kickstarter launch in a much better position.
As long as you understand the “psychology” behind why these people are sitting on the sidelines, any “tactic” you use to push them from the sidelines into the buying category can work.
Now I plan to show you more on “how” to do this later this week, but first, I want to help you better understand who these “Sideliners” are. In my experience, there are four types of people who sit on the sidelines. And they are:

How do you get the Sideliners off the sidelines?
That’s the hundred, thousand, or MILLION dollar question… all depends on the size of your reach.
To get them off the sideline, it’s important to understand the REASON they’re on the sideline in the first place. If you know that, and are clear on that, it becomes a whole lot easier to get them OFF the sideline and into the Backer column.

The Four Types of Sideliners

The Indifferent

The Indifferent’s biggest barrier to buying is the fact that they’re thinking:
“Does this really matter to me?
Do I need it?”
Is this book for me?
Sometimes it’s true. Sometimes it isn’t.

The Skeptic

The Skeptic’s biggest barrier to buying is the fact they’re thinking: “Who are you and why should I trust you?”
They don’t really know, like, or trust you yet… and they’ve probably been burned before.
These people probably discovered your KS organically… not from you or a trusted friend.
They’ve probably been burned before and are a little jaded on Kickstarter, either by the quality of the product or the quality of the campaigns.

The Worrier

The Worrier’s biggest barrier to buying is themselves.
Whereas the Skeptic questions you, the Worrier questions themselves.
Can I afford this?
Will I like this book?
Do I want to commit to backing this, and then dig a little deeper and realize I don’t want it and then have to pull my pledge, and then I’ll feel bad because I made them feel bad, so maybe I shouldn’t back at all… but what if I miss out on this, and it doesn’t fund, or it could have funded if I just…
Worriers… man. We all know one.

The Procrastinator

The procrastinator’s biggest barrier to buying is, as you might have guessed, procrastination.
This is something all human beings wrestle with, and it’s largely because we’re resistant to change.
Cart Open people.
Cart Close people.
And while they may want what you’re selling, spending money hurts, and they’ll delay experiencing that pain as long as possible.

So, those are the four types of Sideliners. Now if you want your Kickstarter campaign to be as successful as it could possibly be, given the reality of your reach, you have four objectives:

1. Make the Indifferent care.
2. Make the Skeptic trust
3. Make the Worrier stop worrying
4. Make the Procrastinator act now

That’s the difference between doing a “small Kickstarter” that pulls in a small number of backers, maybe it gets funded, maybe it doesn’t…
…and a HUGE Kickstarter that exceeds your expectations and takes your career to the next level.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [068] 5 minute brainstorm 1.) What can you do to make an Indifferent Sideliner Care about Your Project? 2.) What can you do to make a Skeptic trust you and your project?

Write me! Leave a VM! Get on the show!
Invite to share results @ comixlaunch.com/voicemail or in an email [email protected]

Wrap Up

There is the World
And there is your reach.

Within Your reach
Day One Take My money Backers
No Way Jose Non-Backers
Sideliners – All your time should be spent messaging sideliners.

Indifferent – Make em Care
Skeptical – Make em trust
Worry – Make them comfortable
Procrastinate – Make them act now

In Part two, I’m going to give you a ton of ways to do just that.
Any special announcements
ComixLaunch Mastery – A couple days left…
ComixLaunch.com/mastery

Quote“Best way of selling something: Don’t sell anything. Earn the awareness, respect, and trust of those who might buy.” – Rand Fishkin

That’s what I’m trying to do with this podcast, with the comics that we create, with the books I publish, and it’s what you should be doing too.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

For many creators, marketing is the most challenging part of a Kickstarter campaign. In this session, artist Anthony Christou teaches a guest lesson sharing his 40 day campaign marketing plan. Then, Tyler shares audio from a past ComixLaunch Course office hours session where he corrects a big mistake many creators make when it comes to email marketing.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Purebuttons, your go-to resource for custom buttons of all shapes and sizes.

Session Table Setting

Archive: a Clips from the ComixLaunch Course Office Hours Sessions back in January, which ties into the power of an email list, and when to start reaching out to that list. Hear from people in the pilot group

Course Updates / Shoutouts
ComixLaunch Mastery enrollment opens up on Tuesday Oct 25 and will be close until Tuesday November 1.
There are fast action bonuses… so if you’d like to work with me and a small group of creators, get on the advanced list! ComixLaunch.com/course

What is Today’s Episode About?

Importance of Planning ahead
40 Days / Events for every day
Social Media
News Letter
Live Events
22% funded, 33 Days to go
30 Day Marketing Plan – Link

As such, he’s put together a comprehensive marketing plan, which he’s going to share with us.

Okay, now I’m going to open up the ComixLaunch Course archive and share a few snippets from the Office Hours Q&A session that took place with the pilot group in Jan of this year.

In this first clip, I’m going to talk about what to do when you’ve crunched the numbers and realize your goal is likely higher than what you can reasonably raise.

Okay, in this second clip, I’m going to address a few things I noticed about Joshua Janes’ 15 Minute KS plan.
If you’ve been following the ComixLaunch Game Plan, I shared a bit about Josh and his 15 minute plan, which he sketched out in rough form quickly, and then, throughout the course and afterward executed brilliantly, successfully funding fulfilling his project.
I’ve included links to Josh’s original plan, and to his successful KS in the show notes… great book, great artist, check him out.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Episode Sponsor: PureButtons

When creating your Kickstarter projects, it’s absolutely essential to have a variety of pledge levels and awesome rewards for your backers. Making custom buttons of your most popular characters is an easy reward or add on you can bring to your campaign…and the folks at PureButtons can help. Specializing in custom buttons of all shapes and sizes, as well as button packs, fridge magnets, custom coasters and much more, PureButtons is my top recommendation for fast, reliable quality printing of buttons and more.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

Wrap Up

Thanks for bearing with me and my post con funk. Hope you got value from Anthony and from the ComixLaunch archive material.
Again, doors open on Tuesday for ComixLaunch Mastery. 24 hour bonus for early action takers!!!

Quote “Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live in.” – Jim Rohn

Thanks for Listening.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

If you could go back in time and give yourself one piece of advice that you wish you new when you first began your creative career, what would it be? It’s a great question right… and a commonly asked question. In this session, Tyler shares his answer, and it’s probably not the one you’re expecting, but if you’re planning on launching a Kickstarter in 2017, it’s something you need to hear.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Luminous Ages

Luminous Ages is a fantasy comic set in a universe where dragons, humans, gods, titans, demons, angels and beasts have the ability to control dream magic!
Created by Australian writer/artist Anthony Christou, the adventure begins with a young farm boy, Thrakos, going through a painful transformation to become a Mage of the Mark. What path will he choose? What secret has his father been hiding from him? And why are dragons hunting him in the dreamworld?

It’s a full-color paperback comic available now on Kickstarter, and includes a bonus concept art book full of dragons and magic, that expands on existing and future characters and environments in the comic!

The first issue of Luminous Ages and the Concept Artbook is finished and can be ordered now.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [066]So, I’ve come to the end of my missive here, but I want to end with a question for all creators out there who’ve read this far…First, have you started an email list yet?If not, I want you to tell me why not? What are you doing today or this week coming up, that’s more important than starting an email list?And if yes, how are you using your email list? What’s working for you and what’s not working for you?

Wrap Up

I hope I’ve lit a fire under you with this session.
Because I really want each and every one of you listening this to succeed and to go as far in this industry as you possibly can.

I also know, that for many of you, you’re thinking:
TYLER HELP! I need more?

Well, that’s precisely why I created the ListLaunch Course.

The three biggest mistakes most creators list when starting their email list… and exactly what to do instead.
Gmail & Yahoo won’t cut it: Why you need a proper email service provider (ESP) for your list?
Tackling the Technology: How to pick the right ESP for where you are and where you’re going by answering a few simple questions?
Simple and smart set-up for your new ESP (or how to check and optimize your current ESP to make sure you’re taking full advantage of its power?)

The 3 Key Types of Emails You’ll Need to Set-up Right Away.

Email Metrics: What’s good engagement for Conversions, Open Rate, and Clicks, and how to boost all three.
Email Best Practices for Writers, Artists, and Self-Publishers… with lots of examples!
How to setting up smart, powerful automated email engagement sequences (without feeling like a robot?)
How to avoid getting slammed with the SPAM label?
How to figure out how big your list should be before you launch your Kickstarter? (Spoiler: It’s probably bigger than your current list…but smaller than you might think.)
Email list building strategies: A blueprint to get your first 100, 500, and 1000 subscribers?

I ran a pilot version of ListLaunch earlier this summer and the reviews and results of the creators taking it have been incredible.
On October 25, my new program, ComixLaunch Mastery will open its doors, and the first Two months of CM is ListLaunch.
So, if you’d like to spend the final two months of 2016 building and energizing your fan base so that when you launch your first or next Kickstarter in 2017 they are primed and ready to back you… I’m excited to work with you.

And if you’re listening to this and thinking, that sounds great, but what if I don’t have a fan base? What if I’m starting from zero?

In that case, I’m JEALOUS.
You’re essentially coming to me as a blank slate. You haven’t built up a ton of misconceptions, bad habits and practices, or limiting beliefs that I’ll have to break down before building back up the right way.
Instead, I can just give you the playbook I wish I had starting out, the playbook I’ve spent the last 15 years learning the hard way.
The Time Machine. The deloreon doors are open.

If you want to make sure you get notified as soon as ComixLaunch Mastery is open for enrollment, go to ComixLaunch.com/course
Any special announcements
ComixLaunch Gameplan, a free 3-Part Training series will begin tomorrow, so check your inbox as 6 am for part 1 from me?
Not on the ComixLaunch list? Head to ComixLaunch.com and signup top bar.

As creators, far too often we make the mistake of thinking things are different for us than traditional businesses.
And yes, some things are different.
But the power of an email list is not one of them.

Thanks for Listening.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

In today’s session with writer Jennie Wood (Flutter, A Boy Like Me) the topic of sticking with a project is discussed. You’ll hear how Jenny drew from personal experience to craft a story that really resonates with readers and how Flutter came together. She’ll also share insight from her experience on Kickstarter and teaching comics and graphic novels in Boston.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Session Table Setting

NYCC – When this goes live, final day. Hopefully won’t get slammed with con flu.

The ComixLaunch Gameplan is coming soon. 3-Part Training series to get you focused on the right things as 2016 ends so that you roar into 2017 a man or woman with a plan!

If you are on the ComixLaunch email list, you’re getting it.
If not, ComixLaunch.com and sign up top bar.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guest Introduction

My guest today is the writer of the critically acclaimed comic book series Flutter, which has been hailed as one of the best LGBT graphic novels of 2013 and 2015 by The Advocate. Flutter has also been featured on an episode of Law & Order: SVU, and been highlighted in the New York Times & Boston Globe. She is also the author of the YA novel “A Boy Like Me” and an ongoing contributor to the New York Times best-selling FUBAR comic anthologies. She also teaches graphic novel and comic book writing at Grub Street, Boston’s independent writing center.

Welcome to ComixLauch, Jennie Wood.

I’m really excited to talk to you because it’s always a pleasure to spotlight creators in Boston area who are doing very interesting things.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) One of the recurring themes we drive home on this show is the importance of owning the “why” behind your work. Can you tell the ComixLaunch audience more about Flutter, and why this was a story that you had to tell?

2) You’re working with Jeff McComsey, whose been a guest on this show before… and this book is definitely a change of pace from FUBAR. How did the Flutter project and team come together?

3) A lot of creators find themselves working on a project and weighing the back and forth of should I take it to Kickstarter or should I take it to an indie publisher. Over Flutter’s history, you’ve actually had experience doing both. How have you approached getting this story into readers hands? What’s worked and what’s been a struggle?

4) You’ve taught graphic novel and comic book writing at Grub Street. How do you structure your courses and what have you learned working with aspiring writers?

Speed Round

1) Finish this sentence: “Kickstarter is _______.”

An opportunity

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

A way to reach out to people who don’t get Kickstarter and think it’s just for handouts.

4) Fulfillment is where even successful Kickstarter creators often drop the ball… Do you have a fulfillment tip for our listeners?
(If haven’t fulfilled yet, throw in Promotion.)

5) Can you recommend one comic (not done by you) more people need to check out?

Miriam Libicki ‘Toward a Hot Jew’

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Club ComixLaunch

ComixLaunch listeners, are you ready to take your crowdfunding game to the next level?
If so, I’d love for you to join me and your fellow creators inside Club ComixLaunch on Patreon.
I’ve opened Club ComixLaunch to help continue and expand on the ComixLaunch mission of increasing the number of creators equipped to harness the power of the Kickstarter platform to bring amazing independent projects to life.
As a Club ComixLaunch member, you’ll have access to a number of exclusive perks and privileges, such as:

A shout out on the ComixLaunch Podcast for you and your project.

Access to the ComixLaunch Club exclusive Patreon feed for even more mindset, strategies and tactics to get your project funded.

The ComixLaunch Club Insider Monthly Kickstarter Resource which might be a guide, checklist, cheat sheet, template, or bonus training video designed to help you launch.

Priority enrollment in ComixLaunch Courses

Discounts on Courses, Books and Upcoming Premium Products

You can even sponsor an episode of the ComixLaunch podcast through Patreon.

And as the Club Grows, so do the perks…
See, there is a direct correlation between listener support and the value ComixLaunch can provide, and as the club expands, we hope to offer:

Monthly Kickstarter Page Critiques

Club Exclusive Chats and Q&As

Bonus Sessions of the ComixLaunch Podcast.

Full podcast transcripts for every episode.

And much more!

For as little as a dollar a month, you can access Club ComixLaunch today, help keep the podcast going and improving, and take your crowdfunding game to the next level.
Membership has its privileges, and to get a taste of them absolutely free, please go to ComixLaunch.com/club and download a free Club ComixLaunch VIP Insider bonus resources today.

Let’s get you ready for your best launch yet!
I’ll see you inside the Club!

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLaunch Mastery is the new flagship program the represents the absolute best training I have to offer creators looking to take their careers to the next level by growing a fan base and leveraging the Kickstarter platform to bring new projects to life.

Two Programs in One!

ComixLaunch Mastery is a comprehensive training that includes two proven programs that you will complete over the next five months, culminating in the successful launch of your own Kickstarter project.
In the ListLaunch program, you’ll learn exactly how big an audience you’ll need to fund your next project and then embark on a step-by-step process to grow and engage that audience and connect with them in the most effective
Then, in The ComixLaunch Course, you and small group of like-minded creators will learn everything you need to know to plan, launch, fund & fulfill your Kickstarter project.

ComixLaunch Mastery will open for enrollment the last week in October, and will begin November 1.

Are you spending your career waiting to get picked? Or are you choosing yourself? In this session, Tyler discusses creator reaction to the recent DC Comics Writers Talent Development Workshop, and the importance of handling disappointment with professionalism.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Purebuttons, your go-to resource for custom buttons of all shapes and sizes.

Session Table Setting

On today’s episode, I’m going to talk about the difference between getting picked and choosing yourself.

This past week, DC Comics announced the new class of writers who have been selected for the DC Talent Workshop taught by Scott Snyder. While there were a lot of well wishes… there were also a lot of sour grapes. A few weeks before, blanket rejection letters went out to creators. I got one, many of the top up and coming writers in comics I know got one. Reaction to not getting picked is something I want to talk about. Give you my thoughts, and also share some great pieces you should track down and read.

Before we get into that, I did want to share something with you guys.
(I’m not in therapy… podcasting is a lot cheaper.)
One of the lines you’ve probably hear me say most on this show —

“What you measure you can manage. And what you manage you can improve.”

Well, the reverse is also true. What you don’t measure… can go to crap.

C is for Cthulhu plush toys – giant box.
Scale – Stepped on it, and almost threw up.
22 lbs heavier than the last time I stepped on the scale, which was back in April.
See, earlier this year, one of my goals was to slim down… diet, exercise, green smoothies…
One of the keys to that was stepping on the scale every single day.
Stopped doing that once I hit a progress milestone… and now, 5 months later, I’ve backslid.

The good news is I know what to do. I worked as a PT in high school, and basics of losing weight isn’t rocket science. It discipline, motivation, and accountability. No, this isn’t turning into a weight loss podcast, but I share this because it’s a broader principle. Motivation, focus, achievement… it’s not something you do and are then done with. People often speak of “motivation” like it’s something you need to get, and then once you’ve got it, you’ve got it. Rather it’s more like showering. You take a shower today and you get clean, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to take a shower tomorrow, and the next day, and the next…

Now, we’re entering the final quarter of 2016, and people usually either throttle down (next year is going to be my year, I’ll coast until then) or throttle up (leaves are falling, summer distractions out of the way, kids back in school,) it’s time to strap in, and absolutely dominate the rest of the year and roar into 2017.

Take a guess which side I’m on?
This is the ComixLAUNCH podcast, of course we have to throttle up.

To help you guys get focused and rededicated, I’m putting together a new FREE training program called the ComixLaunch Gameplan which contains some of my absolute best stuff.

3 Part Series that will include

A framework for success and a simple self-assessment tool that’ll help you determine which of 5 key areas critical to moving your creative endeavors forward you need to most level up in, and loads of ideas on how you can level up.

A plan for outlining your next (and best) Kickstarter launch…in just 15 minutes.

A powerful principle that separates good from great… and how you can apply it to anything you do.

As I said, this is totally FREE training series… and if you’re already on the ComixLaunch email list, you don’t have to do a thing to get it. It’s coming your way later this month.
However, if you’re listening to me right now, and have not joined our email list, just go to ComixLaunch.com and sign up. Top Bar.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Getting Picked vs. Picking Yourself

Example

DC Writer’s Workshop
Zuda Comics –

Zuda Comics was DC Comics’ webcomics imprint from 2007 until 2010. Some of the imprints series have won awards and nominations from comic industry’s Glyph Comics Awards and Harvey Awards. Bayou, Volume 1 was also named one of the 2010 Great Graphic Novels for Teens by the American Library Association.

The site was announced via press release on July 9 2007, the imprint was launched to publish new material featuring new characters online. The site’s content would be chosen by the users through monthly competitions: “the majority of the web comics will be selected by Zudacomics.com’s visitors, who will vote on new web comics presented to them in periodic competitions”.[1] The first commissioned ongoing strips and material competing for the public vote were published on October 30 2007.[2] Zuda removed the competition aspect in April 2010[3] and in July 2010, soon after the launch of DC’s digital comics service, it was announced that Zuda would close and be folded into the new digital publishing arm.[4]
Comic creators were invited to submit their own eight-page comics, and each month ten were selected to compete by editorial. Users could vote for their favorite and the winner received a contract to continue their comic on Zuda. When the contract was filled, if the comic was liked enough it could be renewed for an additional “season”. Occasionally an “instant winner” was chosen to receive a contract without having to compete. In July 2008 an “invitational” was held in which losing comics were invited back to compete.

Game Changer for a # of Reasons

DC Comics
Not DC Comics – Looking for NEW
Very clear
Paying
A lot of chances – 10 / month, every month.

Pre open – Forums – A ton of excitement
First opened up – Reaction Comics were good!

I submitted a total of 5 series pitches.

Super Seed
ICE Interrogation Control Element

Pros

A lot of eyeballs, and a lot of feedback.
$500 = Pro
DC Christmas Card List
All of the skills learned there I would later apply to KS success

Biggest pro of all was that I decided I was going to pick myself, and not worry about getting picked. I wasn’t going to put my career or my projects to the whim of popular vote, or a set of gatekeepers deciding whether or not I got to compete. I was not going to shy away from the fact that my stuff needed to get better… reinvest in my own talent.

Writer’s Workshop — PART B

What Was It
That said… I DID Apply to the Writer’s Workshop…
Chance to learn from Scott Snyder… no brainer. (More important than opportunity to write for DC)
Why Was it exciting?
What was involved?
Two comics
Resume
Personal Statement
Letter of Recommendation
What happened?
Letters went out – Form Rejection Letters
Thank you for applying to the DC Talent Development Writers Workshop! Due to the high volume of competitive submissions, it was very challenging to select our final candidates. Unfortunately, we will not be able to offer you a place in the program this year. We enjoyed reviewing your application and appreciate your interest in the program.
We hope you’ll consider applying again in the future!
DC Talent Development

Reaction Part 1

Disappointment
Disallusionment
Frustration

Reaction Part 2

Announced who was in it.
Only 8 were chosen, to take part in a 13 week DC Comics Writers Workshop course led byScott Snyder. (Bleeding Cool)
Owl Goingback (Bram Stoker award winner for Crota, Sealed With A Kiss)
Writing partners Erica Harrell and Desirée Proctor (writers of MTV’ Happyland andThe Walking Dead: Michonne for Telltale Games)
Al Letson (Planetfall, Imperfect, Peabody award winner for NPR’s State of the Re:Union)
David Accampo (Lost Angels, Sparrow & Crowe)
Aaron Gillespie (LadyDemon, Bionic Man)
Ryan Lindsay (Ghost Town, Negative Space)
Tony Patrick (X’ed, writer of short film Black Card).
Throwing Shade
They said it was supposed to be about shining a light on new talent and a chance to break in and get educated. These writers are established!

Here’s the good news…

If this is your goal, now you know what it takes!
DC, with these selections, is showing you what it takes to get in, and I can guarantee you, of the 1500 that applied, maybe only a couple dozen writers would have a legitimate claim to being as accomplished as these 8…

4 Things to Keep in Mind About Getting Picked?

1) It’s like winning the lottery. The odds are not in your favor. But you do have to play to win.

2) How you respond to adversity
“You can be taught to be a better writer anytime. It’s a lot harder to teach someone not to be a dick in the face of rejection. So much of an individual’s success in comics stems from their ability to be a PROFESSIONAL. How you present yourself is important And if that’s how you present yourself in this situation, then that speaks volumes. If you’re using the fact that you didn’t get in as permission to be bitter instead of fuel to become a better writer, you’re doing it wrong.” – JP Jordan retailer at Big Bang Comics, an Eisner Award finalist Best Comic Book Shop

“Avoid being jealous of other people’s success. It will never help you achieve the things you want. Focus on your own growth, not a scale set against someone else’s achievements or timeline.”

Does that sound obvious? It doesn’t matter. You still need to hear it. I still need to hear it.
Being part of a roller coaster creative community like comics involves seeing a nigh-constant stream of promotion for new projects, big and small; Press releases, interviews, reviews, tweets, conventions, panels… It’s a barrage.
Every week it seems like everyone else is doing amazing things while you are standing still. That feeling can breed an intense amount of fear and doubt. It can eat away at your confidence and poison your ability to create.
You put yourself into the work. Your ego is wrapped up in these creative projects. You can’t help but compare yourself to your peers and have a knee-jerk reaction that their success somehow reflects back as your failure.

Here’s the Kicker:

“It’s easy to see everyone else’s career like a highlight reel while your own is lived out in slow motion. It’s a flawed perception. Purge it.”

4) If you want to get picked, you need to choose yourself.
Now, honestly… I might have thought differently, had one of “my own” not been picked.
But – RKL got picked.
Any of you saying, it’s not fair, or I couldn’t get chosen because ___…. it’s all excuses.
Ryan
Demanding Day Job
Young Kids at home
Lives in Australia

Maybe I’m biased… gave one of his first paid gigs… little 8 pager for OXYMORON anthology.
Put in the work.

Ryan K Lindsay
“2016 — battle.
Seeing a lot of people online talking about already having watched all of MAKING A MURDERER and all I can think every single time is – where the hell do you get the time? AND, why the hell aren’t you using that time to write?
But then I remember that some people are freelancers who work all day and actually have nights off, and then I remember some people don’t have kids and so that frees up some hours in their day, and then I remember that some people just work at their own pace.
I remember all that and still I think, man, what is that show, 6 eps long, 10? Who has 10 spare hours over a weekend to just sit and watch a thing. I don’t care how rational it might be for you, and how irrational of me, I hate you.
There I said it.
And it might be hyperbolic, but I also know some of these people are trying to break into comics. Well, you won’t get much done sinking 10 hours into some show that most people are gonna tweet about within a 5 day window and then it all gets washed down the tubes anyway as the world moves on. And I know that sounds pretty damn presumptuous of me but I also know some people consider me ‘lucky’ to have scored the gigs I have gotten so far. No. No, I’ve just foregone this sort of thing, I’ve foregone staying current with most tv or movies. But when it’s Oscar time and I’ve maybe only seen 1 or none of the Best Pic noms, well, I’d rather have one more issue made and in the world than have those flicks right away. I’ll slowly catch up with them. This sorta gig is the thing you hve to work harder than you did to just graduate high school, or get some middle-rent job-
Egh, I’m gonna rant now. Well, rant more, time to hit the Big Red Button.”
Get on Ryan’s email newsletter here: https://tinyletter.com/ryanklindsay
Ryan’s Knocked out his 2nd Kickstarter of the year with Deer Editor #3, released a comixTribe series, got a new Black Mask Series picked up, has a Dark Horse trade…
Projects going he hasn’t even dropped yet.
Does it make a little more sense now why a writer like Ryan got picked and you didn’t?
Don’t be frustrated… be inspired.
Pick yourself. When you do that, and do it every day for a few years, eventually other people are going to notice.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Episode Sponsor: PureButtons

When creating your Kickstarter projects, it’s absolutely essential to have a variety of pledge levels and awesome rewards for your backers. Making custom buttons of your most popular characters is an easy reward or add on you can bring to your campaign…and the folks at PureButtons can help. Specializing in custom buttons of all shapes and sizes, as well as button packs, fridge magnets, custom coasters and much more, PureButtons is my top recommendation for fast, reliable quality printing of buttons and more.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [064]If you applied for the DC writers workshop and didn’t get in, seek out the work of at least one of the people who did get in, and study it.

Wrap Up

Show Summary / Final Lessons

It’s nice to get picked.
Control the controllables.

Final piece of advice, and might be most important of all —

While you can’t control who picks you, you can control the things YOU pick… and those things are far more critical to your success than getting picked.
YOU get to pick how you spend your time. Are you prioritizing hitting your page count, or binging Netflix.
YOU get to pick your friends and the people you choose to surround yourself with. Are you building a Network of positive, talented, hardworkign, creative people who are making your industry a better place? Or are you surrounding yourself with negative nancy’s who criticize, condemn and complain far more than they create?
YOU get to pick your mentors, the people who are farther along on the journey than you are, who’s mistakes you can learn from and avoid, and whose success and insight you can model. By listening to this right now, I’m honored that you’ve picked me as one of those mentors.
YOU get to pick how you handle both success and adversity. And if you’re not happy with how you’ve handled either in the past… you can always pick a new approach.

Special Announcements

Later this month, I’m going to be launching a new course called ComixLaunch Mastery.

It’s really two courses in one

ListLaunch The ComixLaunch Course

I’m excited, because I know about 3% of those of you listening to this podcast will sign up for the course, and we’ll work together to bring some amazing projects into the world.

You will be hearing more about ComixLaunch Mastery in the weeks to come. Enrollment will be later this month.
Advanced List- ComixLaunch.com/course
ComixLaunch Gameplan – Free

Quote“You don’t develop a passion by dreaming; you develop it by doing.” – Cal Newport

Get out there and do. The world needs what you have inside you.
Thanks for Listening.

Great guest coming up.
ComixLaunch Gameplan is coming. Get on the email list.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

We often hear you can learn a lot more from failure than from success… but that doesn’t make failure any easier a pill to swallow. Today’s guest, Sam Costello, however, has embraced the lessons learned from his first unsuccessful Kickstarter campaign and brainstorms relaunch strategies with Tyler on today’s session. Sam also shares hard won wisdom from 10 years of producing the webcomic Split Lip.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Featured Resource – FreshBooks

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guest Introduction

My guest today is a vermont based longtime horror fan and the award-winning writer of the horror webcomic. For the past decade, more than 600 pages of Split Lip comics have been serialized for free at splitlipcomic.com, and featured the work of many rising star artists from around the world.

Welcome to ComixLaunch, Sam Costello.

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) Tell us more about Split Lip, which recently celebrated 10 years anniversary of webcomicking.

2) 10 years is an eternity on the internet… what changes have you noticed since you started with webcomics today?

3) What are your biggest lessons or tips for creators wanting to serialize comics on the web.

4) Let’s talk Kickstarter… in June of this year, you launched your first Kickstarter, which missed it’s funding goal by less than 20%. My audience actually loves to hear from creators who have had setbacks… so your insight is incredibly valuable. What do you think was the biggest factors to not hitting your goal?

5) Now that you’ve had a few months to process, you’re gearing up for a relaunch. What steps are you taking to give Split Lip a better chance as success this time around.

Speed Round

1) Finish this sentence: “Kickstarter is _______.”

Magic

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

4) Fulfillment is where even successful Kickstarter creators often drop the ball… Do you have a fulfillment tip for our listeners?
(If haven’t fulfilled yet, throw in Promotion.)

5) Can you recommend one comic (not done by you) more people need to check out?

Emily Carrol – Webcomics
Josh Simmons

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLaunch Featured Resource: FreshBooks

Are you keeping good track of the finances for your creative business?

And if so, are you trying to do it with rough spreadsheets you created yourself in Excel that you’re undisciplined about keeping up to date?

Take it from me, who did that for waaay too long, you need to stop wasting time and start using Freshbooks.

Accounting can be frustrating… but FreshBooks makes it EASY.

FreshBooks is specially designed for small businesses and creative entreprenuers like us.

Freshbooks saves you TIME by letting you Import expenses automatically from linked accounts and attach receipts to invoices so that come tax time, you’ll be organized and ready, not scrambling and in a full on panic.

FreshBooks also makes you look more professional and gets you paid faster with their fast branded invoicing options, and the ability to accept payments online.

FreshBooks keeps you up to date on your numbers, with beautiful automatically generated profit and loss statements, tax summaries, expense reports and more.

If you believe you add the most value to the world when you’re spending your time creating your next masterpiece rather than bean counting, then you owe it to yourself to give Freshbooks a try.

To get your time back and take control of your creative business finances once and for all, go toComixLaunch.com/freshbooks for a free-30 day trial, and I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [062]

Who is going to be your Kickstarter campaign sounding board? You’re going to be too close to it… The ideal person:

Should have experience running a Kickstarter.Should have the time to dig in a bit.Should not be emotionally invested in the result.

Want to learn how publishers can use Patreon to build recurring revenue into their business and provide extra value to their biggest fans? In this session, Tyler talks to Mike Kennedy, publisher of the Eisner-nominated comic book and graphic novel imprint Magnetic Press. Mike is using Patreon in an innovative way, and he shares his thinking and experience on Patreon, as well as bonus tips about licensing comics.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Session Table Setting

Listener Feedback

“I just heard you say “Perfect is the enemy of progress.” I completely agree, I’m all about action! Too many people only sit and talk about what they’re going to do. Better to run and stumble than never get off the couch!” – Dylan Andrews | Launched his Patreon

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guest Introduction

My guest today is the publisher of Magnetic Press, a comic book imprint built to help creators both new and established from around the world share their stories with an English-language/North American market.

He is the former publisher at Archaia, and together with Wes Harris, former VP of publishing at BOOM!, founded Magnetic Press, and for the past three years has been steadily building that imprint from the ground up.

Magnetic Press books have received multiple Eisner nominations and they are doing very interesting things on Patreon.

Welcome to ComixLauch, Mr. Mike Kennedy!

What is Today’s Episode About?

Patreon for Publishers

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) One of the things I talk about on ComixLaunch is the importance of niching down far enough so that we can compete in a crowded and competitive market. Magnetic Press has definitely differentiated itself. For those who are new to your company, can you talk about the story behind Magnetic Press, and the kinds of books you publish?

2) Last year, you launched the Magnetic Press Ambassadors club, which was one of of the more ambitious and innovative uses of the Patreon platform that I’ve seen. Can you talk about how Patreon first got on your radar, and what were some of the objectives you had for your Club?

3) I’ve been a backer of the club, and each month I get, essentially a Magnetic Press digital magazine PDF, which is phenomenal. But it seems like you’re putting a TON of work into the Club. How much work are you putting into running and managing the Patreon each month?

4) Currently generating $636 with the support of 22 Patrons… You’re offering some tremendous value over there, but I know you’ve told me it’s been a slow grow. What are you doing to attract more Patrons and get the word out?

5) I know you’ve made some adjustments to your Patreon in the time you’ve had it running. Do you have some lessons learned or dos and don’t for publishers thinking about jumping on Patreon?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Club ComixLaunch

ComixLaunch listeners, are you ready to take your crowdfunding game to the next level?
If so, I’d love for you to join me and your fellow creators inside Club ComixLaunch on Patreon.
I’ve opened Club ComixLaunch to help continue and expand on the ComixLaunch mission of increasing the number of creators equipped to harness the power of the Kickstarter platform to bring amazing independent projects to life.
As a Club ComixLaunch member, you’ll have access to a number of exclusive perks and privileges, such as:

A shout out on the ComixLaunch Podcast for you and your project.

Access to the ComixLaunch Club exclusive Patreon feed for even more mindset, strategies and tactics to get your project funded.

The ComixLaunch Club Insider Monthly Kickstarter Resource which might be a guide, checklist, cheat sheet, template, or bonus training video designed to help you launch.

Priority enrollment in ComixLaunch Courses

Discounts on Courses, Books and Upcoming Premium Products

You can even sponsor an episode of the ComixLaunch podcast through Patreon.

And as the Club Grows, so do the perks…
See, there is a direct correlation between listener support and the value ComixLaunch can provide, and as the club expands, we hope to offer:

Monthly Kickstarter Page Critiques

Club Exclusive Chats and Q&As

Bonus Sessions of the ComixLaunch Podcast.

Full podcast transcripts for every episode.

And much more!

For as little as a dollar a month, you can access Club ComixLaunch today, help keep the podcast going and improving, and take your crowdfunding game to the next level.
Membership has its privileges, and to get a taste of them absolutely free, please go toComixLaunch.com/club and download a free Club ComixLaunch VIP Insider bonus resources today.

Let’s get you ready for your best launch yet!
I’ll see you inside the Club!

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [062]You don’t have a business until you have monthly recurring revenue… What can you do in the next six months to start generating monthly recurring revenue for your creative business?

Can Patreon work for writers? Jim Zub, acclaimed writer of Skullkickers, Wayward, and GlitterBomb swings by to drop knowledge bombs a plenty on how writers can harness the power of Patreon. Plus: Winners of the Patreon Survey Amazon Giftcards announced!

Having trouble writing your Patreon project description? In this section, Tyler will share 15 key elements to a strong sales page, and how to make those elements work for you. Plus, bonus tips from Jason Brubaker, and ComixLaunch listener voicemail.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Session Table Setting

Listener Feedback

Jay D’Ici – Struggle is Real

I really enjoyed the struggle is real podcast, I’ve always been a believer of the sending down the elevator.
My struggle issue isn’t really something I believe I’ll face the same way again but the story goes like this:
My first webcomic series “THE UNFINDING OF ERASMUS CIVITATUM” was doing alright, we weren’t making money or losing money but we’re starting to develop a following. At the end of the first chapter my artist quit over a creative difference. After a month and a half searching on line frantically I found a new artist, but after just a few strips he ended up having to quit the series as several personal issues started to overwhelm him. After two artists leaving me in the lurch I was miserable as I was going to have another story sitting around doing nothing.
A month later another writer friend challenged me to participate in NaNoWritMo. I decided to stream line the comic into a novel (there were several more stories in the universe I wanted to tell). It took me until the following March but I finished the first draft of the Novel.
Finishing the novel helped me three ways

1) I proved to myself that I could write a Novel

2) it allowed me to finish the first part of THE UNFINDING OF ERASMUS CIVITATUM and get that story out of my head.

3) and completing the novel was part of the proof that Matt G Gagnon needed to see I was worth working with leading to CONCEPTUAL HEIST which has been running over a year.

Also, without THE UNFINDING I probably wouldn’t have been in the right headspace to meet my fiancée, so I wouldn’t have my son.
Also, just so you know Matt and I are planning on doing a Kickstarter in January/February at the moment. And our Patreon has hit 30$/month.
Be well man, my son starts day care this week so I’ll be getting on top of you Patreon stuff by later this week.

There’s no support bereavement group for lost collaborators… but maybe there should be.

What is Today’s Episode About?

How to do it Step by Step?

1) Who are You & What do You Do (Expertise)
(who you are, what you’ve done)

“Hello, my name is Mario. I’m a Kansas City based artist, who self publishes, illustrates and writes a series of comics and books, runs a blog that follows my creative efforts, and also run Artisan Rogue Radio (podcast) and my own channel on YouTube.” Mario https://www.patreon.com/theArtisanRogue

2) Grab their attention with a Qualifying Question

Does this relate to you? Yes or No?

3) Tell people what you’re about to tell them.

2 Sentences.
Today, I want to invite you…

4) Story (The Why Matters)

High point, low point, high point
Matt Holiday – HolidayWhatTV youtube – Daily high energy video about holidays around the world.
Why?https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gfn0wKToaI
“About a year ago, I quit my job at a studio in California, moved to a cheap little apartment near Portland, OR and started working on my own projects (while still doing enough freelance on the side to pay the bills). It has been tough at times, but its also been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I’m really excited again about creating art.
It’s been a lifelong dream to tell my own stories, free from meddling and design-by-committee, and now I’m finally able to devote more time to them. And with your help, we can bring these projects to life.” – Mac Smith, SCURRY

5) Unique Value Proposition

Here’s what you can get only here…
Here’s the problem you have and here’s how my Patreon will fix it.
“Every month I’ll be using Patreon to show my supporters the comic writing process: Full comic scripts, project pitches, story development notes, and even advance reading PDFs of my upcoming creator-owned comics are all ‘unlockable’ depending on the level of your patronage.” – Jim Zub

6) And that’s why I’m on Patreon…

ComixLaunch Podcast…
Why the Podcast?
Why the Patreon?
“Quite a few people who have read my comic-making articles have asked me how they can show their support for the advice I’ve put together. Normally I just point them toward places where they can order my booksbut, with the changing creative landscape and new avenues available, I’ve realized how useful direct support can be. That’s why I’ve set up this Patreon page. “

7) Step 7 possibilities

What is possible with your support?
” $3000 goal – With this mind-blowing amount of support, with just a few videos, we could afford to upgrade to a Sony A7S Mark II camera with which to film ICWXP’s Episode 206 for truly incredible, mega-sharp, professional picture quality for the epic Season 2 finale.” — Goals section… specific. Should include some general possibilities in the page copy, too.

8) General Explanation of Patronage

Features & Benefits
“What are you offering & why is it so great”

9) What is Patreon?

“Patreon uses your choice of card or online transaction service to charge creators a reoccurring (or subscription) set amount at certain times. I am set to monthly so you will not be charged until the end of the month (between the last day of the month and up to the 5th depending on method). This is basically a tip jar system with incentives found in the pledges on the right of the page.” – Ashley Shinavar is creating entire universes! https://www.patreon.com/Entanglement

10) Your Irresistible Offer

Put it in dollar terms
“For the price of a coffee per month you can show your support for the work I’ve done telling stories and helping future comic creators build stories of their own.” – Jim Zub
Get Real, Get vulnerable.
Share real costs of doing what you do. Not out of guilt, out of education.

11) Price Reveal

What does it cost to get started?

12) Risk Reversal

Won’t be charged until 1st of the Month
Can change any time.
Can cancel any time

13) Testimonials

iTunes Reviews
ComixLaunch Course Students
Caliber of people on the podcast?

For those of you who have decided to join the club, here’s what happens next!

Click the form (if watching on your phone… exit out)

Walk through the checkout process

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Club ComixLaunch

ComixLaunch listeners, are you ready to take your crowdfunding game to the next level?
If so, I’d love for you to join me and your fellow creators inside Club ComixLaunch on Patreon.
I’ve opened Club ComixLaunch to help continue and expand on the ComixLaunch mission of increasing the number of creators equipped to harness the power of the Kickstarter platform to bring amazing independent projects to life.
As a Club ComixLaunch member, you’ll have access to a number of exclusive perks and privileges, such as:

A shout out on the ComixLaunch Podcast for you and your project.

Access to the ComixLaunch Club exclusive Patreon feed for even more mindset, strategies and tactics to get your project funded.

The ComixLaunch Club Insider Monthly Kickstarter Resource which might be a guide, checklist, cheat sheet, template, or bonus training video designed to help you launch.

Priority enrollment in ComixLaunch Courses

Discounts on Courses, Books and Upcoming Premium Products

You can even sponsor an episode of the ComixLaunch podcast through Patreon.

And as the Club Grows, so do the perks…
See, there is a direct correlation between listener support and the value ComixLaunch can provide, and as the club expands, we hope to offer:

Monthly Kickstarter Page Critiques

Club Exclusive Chats and Q&As

Bonus Sessions of the ComixLaunch Podcast.

Full podcast transcripts for every episode.

And much more!

For as little as a dollar a month, you can access Club ComixLaunch today, help keep the podcast going and improving, and take your crowdfunding game to the next level.
Membership has its privileges, and to get a taste of them absolutely free, please go toComixLaunch.com/club and download a free Club ComixLaunch VIP Insider bonus resources today.

Let’s get you ready for your best launch yet!
I’ll see you inside the Club!

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

Not True.
Most of the people who hit your page:
Already know like trust you and are coming to back your page. They won’t read it all.
Don’t know like and trust you and stumble on your page by mistake… all that copy, likely a turn-off.
Third group… warm and need to know more before they pull the trigger.

Most people won’t read every word you write… that’s okay.
But of the people who DO read every word… a big % of those are going to become your Patrons.
Most out there, even successful ones, do NOT have all these elements? Why? Because they’re written by musicians, artists, etc. not copywriters.

Do you need all of these elements?

Probably not. But if you’re struggling… give it a shot.
Look at the checklist. How many elements does your page have?
What’s missing?

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

ComixLaunch is keeping it 100 with this session, as Tyler shares some recent creative struggles he’s facing as an independent creator… as well as the hard truth that to create is to struggle. From conventions to retail sales and everything in between, there will always be obstacles in our way. This session shares strategies for dealing with them.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Purebuttons, your go-to resource for custom buttons of all shapes and sizes.

Session Table Setting

If you were expecting another Patreon Launch session, apologies. Come back next week, as we’ll pick up the series.

What is Today’s Episode About?

I have some bad news and some good news for you.

Bad News: You know the feeling that you’re struggling? It’s never going away. I’ll be back with the good news later, but I’m going to expound on this. You might not be used to hearing this from me as I’m usually positive. Time for some Realtalk.

Example
Friday Night taking a bus back from Day One of Boston Comic Con. I was miserable, and that wasn’t the only bit of bad news… Quilte #1. Stuff starts to compound…

The good news: The struggle is why what we do matters.
All growth happens outside of the comfort zone.

Most people are not willing to go through what we go through.
Control the Controllables

Boston Comic Con

Saturday

Sent an email blast. Doubled Friday sales, Sunday

Mulvey and Cesar hilarity ensues.

Tessa Beatrice (Zach & Macayla) crushed it.
Sold 50 copies of her book Fury’s Forge, as well as a ton of prints.
Literally had the time of their life.
Impossible to be salty around that enthusiasm.

Diamond

Get creative…
Do a limited edition glow in the dark variant that we can sell at a premium at cons, online, or even a crowdfunding effort.
Sell Quilte #1 on Comixology for full price, even if it’s free in shops.
Embrace the opportunity… 16K print run for small press is phenomenal, and getting books in people’s hands makes the difference.

Struggle is Real. The fight’s not going anywhere…
Don’t expect it to. Thank you sir, may I have another.

The Big Caveat:

The key to productive struggle and unproductive struggle is this…

Are you struggling with the same thing you were last year and the year before and the year before that?
If so, then that might not be a good thing…
It’s time to do something different.
It’s time to ask for help.
It’s time to surround yourself with a coach or mentor who’s solved that particular problem already… because I guarantee that person is out there.
Difference between lifting weights and progressively raising the weights and just pushing against a wall. One gets you stronger, the other just makes you tired and frustrated.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Episode Sponsor: PureButtons

When creating your Kickstarter projects, it’s absolutely essential to have a variety of pledge levels and awesome rewards for your backers. Making custom buttons of your most popular characters is an easy reward or add on you can bring to your campaign…and the folks at PureButtons can help. Specializing in custom buttons of all shapes and sizes, as well as button packs, fridge magnets, custom coasters and much more, PureButtons is my top recommendation for fast, reliable quality printing of buttons and more.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [059]What did you struggle with in the past that you no longer struggle with now? How did you overcome that struggle?

Dan Hale
Half Breed, 9 pages that I’m writing and fully illustrating. I want to put it online for free and hopefully get some eyes on my art. Posting progress regularly on Instagram, Twitter, FB already
2- Finish 2 more short stories and collect and print them. Do a small $2-3k Kickstarter to learn the process
3- Start a graphic novel as a webcomic and update on a schedule. Kickstart print edition when finished.

George Ward
MOAM: The Mother Of All Monsters. http://moam.thecomicseries.com/ about a teenage girl and her young brother getting trapped in an other world. There are monsters and misshapen humans everywhere and those that try to help them are not to be trusted. What is really going on and who is MOAM?
Webcomic Alliance Podcast

“Do the hard jobs first. The easy jobs will take care of themselves.” – Dale Carnegie

Thanks for Listening.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

With the help of artist Anthony Christou (Luminous Ages), Tyler tackles the much fretted about subject of Patreon Rewards. They discuss the best ways to offer value for Patrons, the pros and cons of physical Patreon rewards, and how you make sure your Patrons get their money’s worth. Plus, new ComixLaunch listener voicemail!

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

What are the best ways to offer value for Patrons so you’re not just begging for money in between projects?
What are the best types of rewards?
How often should they be delivered?
How do you make sure Patrons are getting their money’s worth?

Listener Voicemail

Einar Peterson –
Interesting about the fear of government collection of information in Denmark… Facebook give away
Facebook imagery – Notoriously strict about what they allow.
Like the “too hot for facebook angle. Go check out Implant.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guest Introduction

My guest today is an Australian illustrator, concept artist and writer of graphic novels. Professionally, he’s worked for many studios as an illustrator and concept artist, including Disney, Grinding Gear Games, Wolf Creek Productions, and many others. He’s the creator of the fantasy universe Luminous Ages, for which he’s run a successful Kickstarter project and he currently supports via Patreon. He has been a listener and sponsor of the show and I’m thrilled to have him on the show today.

Welcome to ComixLauch, Mr. Anthony Christou. (Kris-too)

I’m really excited to talk to you. We’ve been chatting through email, and you were kind enough to contribute to our Session 50 show, and I know you’ve been willing to come on for a full ComixLaunch interview for a while, but I’d been holding you in reserve because I know you’d be a great guest to bring on during the Patreon series. So, thank you for your patience!

What is Today’s Episode About?

Patreon, specifically the topic of Rewards for your Patrons.
This is a HUGE topic. Recently conducted a SURVEY of my audience regarding Patreon, and REWARDS was probably the most common question / concern creators who have yet to launch Patreons have.

How do you come up with rewards Patrons actually want?
What rewards work best on Patreon?
How are Patreon rewards different than what you might offer on Kickstarter? (Or are they?)
How do you go about pricing rewards, both so that its worth it for your Patrons, and worth it for you the creator?

These are big, meaty questions, but I know that you’re a great person to talk them through with and hopefully find some clarity for creators out there. But first, let’s give ComixLaunch listeners some context of where you are with Patreon.

58 Patrons
$515 / month
Completed your first goal (set at $500 / month) to do a monthly Patron poll and unlock a free ebook for Patrons.
Working toward your $1,000 goal Bonus concept art, and some extras for all Patrons.

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) How long have you been running your Patreon Page, and Why did you choose to set up a Patreon project for your art?

11 months on Patreon. I setup a patreon for my fans who were seeing my art at comic cons my fantasy art dragons and worlds and were wanting to know the story behind it all. I had been writing a huge series and they all wanted to know about it. Pre me Patreon was a way of holding me to my word with my fans. I am driven to make my own stories but with clients comic convention schedules and all my other art projects I really felt a patreon was necessary so I am forced in a good way to deliver comic book pages or concept art from the comic to my fans. I am grateful that I am now finally doing my own comics as I have worked for a few indie publishers and AAA video game studios. Nothing like owning your own ideas!!!

2) When you first launched your Patreon, what were your expectations for the page? Have they been met, exceeded, etc?

I did it all for the money I want $40,000 a month like some of the leading patreons. No just jokes deep down that sort of money can liberate artists like me to focus on making their own content versus working for clients. For me I see patreon as a tip jar but with the possibility to create a regular income stream.
[FU] – Have seen some remarkable artists on Patreon who are raking in incredible money every month… are there artists in particular that you’re watching? Who did you model your page after?
I honestly expected to hit $1000 per month by now so honestly I feel I have fallen short. I am presently at $515 usd however the great thing is that It forces me to make comic book art for a week every month or other art. I am also able to use the funds to hire Rob Richardson a long time colleague and comic book artist to help create extra pages and art and hire Christy in the studio 1 day a week.
To be honest my patreon covers the basic costs of creating the art for the comics. It is not just the printing of comics that is costly most kickstarters only cover the cost of printing they actually do not cover the cost and time to make art or write stories. I am grateful that using patreon as it grows I am able to increase the amount of art I do for art prints and also for the comic book series.
Honest answer I really wish it was better than it is $515 is not enough to do what I want to do but it atleast helps cover the costs hiring artists and also my time on painting the comic and writing it. I think to date I have raised about $8000 over the course of a year.
Some months during the release of comics or certain art topics that are popular it does spike up to $700 USD so honestly I am content with it but I like to push for more and to be honest I am pouring about 2 weeks of work in it monthly when you count the people I hire. I am seeing it as a 3 year investment to make sure I have a series of comics created and other short stories or comic book universes

3) Many creators I’ve talked to expressed concern about coming up with good rewards for their patreon page. What’s been your approach to rewards? What rewards are you offering, and what seems to be resonating with your Patrons?

I offer both digital and phtiscal rewards. Honestly at the moment I offer way too much but that is how I role as a creator I am generous well I hope I am. I have comic book pages for Luminous Ages, and so much content. The digital content includes: pdf turorials, process videos, commentary tutorial videos, psds, animated gifs, step by steps.

At $15 you get 3 videos from me on how to create art. I try to pass on as much design and illustration knowledge as I can I have a masters in art and design so my background in teaching I feel shows in the videos. This is my way of still teaching people without having to drive into a university or school class .

With physical rewards when the comic book is released $10 fans get the book mailed to them, other months we sent a4 prints signed limited edition prints we have gaming mats and collector cards from our game.

I actually use it like a store I have so many products at cons and I don’t like to take both small and large paper pritns to con as it weighs a lot. So what I have done is made patreon the place where you get my small a4 prints, collector cards and my limited edition gaming mats!!! I also take commissions on patreon so if you want any fantasy art done or alice in wonderland commission or anything from the public domain I will draw it with traditional media starting at $65usd working its way up to $115. We also have a digital commission tier where people can actually be in the comic each month!!!! A few fans have done that.

At the moment what seems to be working is all content to be honest 50% of the fans are joining for the digital rewards to learn how to paint and read my comic digitally and 50% sign up for physical rewards. They are my die hard fans that just love what I do at comic conventions and want to keep on getting my version of loot crate.

My policy with rewards is to make sur physical can fit in an A4 envelope and is not over 500grams this way to cost to ship it anywehere is cheap I have a business postage account so it makes life easier for me. If it grows we will include more digital content now more videos more comic book pages possibly a few extra a4 prints for the $20 tier but the focus is our comic and comic book card game.

4) Do you have Reward Dos and Don’ts that you can share with our listeners?

Do not over deliver to much I am kinda at my limit now but I see it as an investment. I will increase my digital content and my actual comic book pages next and also offer starting from the letter a commission to fans or starting from highest supporter when we hit $1000 someone gets a commission each month!!!!! So they will get a digital file and a4 print added to their pack.

5) “I’ve seen too many people create a Patreon page and start offering tons of rewards and extra content like tutorials and prints IN ADDITION to the work they are already doing. They quickly become buried in extra work that costs them more money and time to produce. Over-delivering is better than promising too much.” – Mac Smith from ScurryComic.com
Seems like you are doing a lot… what do you think of Mac’s advice?

Physical rewards are the bread and butter of Kickstarter, but even Patreon itself warns against creating too many Physical rewards. What are your thoughts on physical rewards? The fact that you’re in Australia might make physical reward fulfillment tricky, no?
I think I have covered this but honestly I SAY DO not offer too much physical rewards. I am offering a lot but I think trading cards and small prints are ok! The only thing I think I will increase is the amount of cards people get in their packs and maybe additional a4 prints but honestly ill have to weight and see how far I CAN GO. MY GOAL is to offer more digital content more videos and tutrorials on how to create comics draw traditionally or paint digitally and how to create concept art and fantasy illustration. I will even have videos on kitbashing and photo bashing more digital content is the way. If you do physical make sure it can fit in a letter a4 or American equivalent is good. Do not offer bigger things if you do make sure you charge more.

6) You have another Kickstarter coming up. Tell us briefly about that project, and what, if anything, you have in mind to encourage Patrons to double down and also support you on KS.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLaunch Featured Resource: FreshBooks

Are you keeping good track of the finances for your creative business?

And if so, are you trying to do it with rough spreadsheets you created yourself in Excel that you’re undisciplined about keeping up to date?

Take it from me, who did that for waaay too long, you need to stop wasting time and start using Freshbooks.

Accounting can be frustrating… but FreshBooks makes it EASY.

FreshBooks is specially designed for small businesses and creative entreprenuers like us.

Freshbooks saves you TIME by letting you Import expenses automatically from linked accounts and attach receipts to invoices so that come tax time, you’ll be organized and ready, not scrambling and in a full on panic.

FreshBooks also makes you look more professional and gets you paid faster with their fast branded invoicing options, and the ability to accept payments online.

FreshBooks keeps you up to date on your numbers, with beautiful automatically generated profit and loss statements, tax summaries, expense reports and more.

If you believe you add the most value to the world when you’re spending your time creating your next masterpiece rather than bean counting, then you owe it to yourself to give Freshbooks a try.

To get your time back and take control of your creative business finances once and for all, go toComixLaunch.com/freshbooks for a free-30 day trial, and I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

Wrap Up

Show Summary / Final Lessons

1) Fretting over Patreon Rewards is Wasted Time and Effort.
Many people who are backing you aren’t backing to GET, they’re backing to GIVE BACK
Focus on your product / Art
And relationship building with Your audience.

2) $1 Reward Doesn’t have to be anything more than acknowledgement

3) Physical Rewards do boost Patreon pledges… but they can be a burden.

4) Rewards aren’t set in stone… you can reserve the right to try things out.

5) Having multiple reward tiers is key to significant funding.
We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

The Patreon Launch series continues with a deep dive analysis of the essential elements that make up and effective Patreon page. Tyler also shares 5 tips for building, and more importantly launching, your Patreon page. Plus, and invitation to take the ComixLaunch Patreon survey.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Session Table Setting

Today, we’re going to continue our deep dive analysis of Patreon and review the 9 essential elements that make up a Patreon Page and 5 Tips for Building and Launching Your Page

Now, you know that I bring more than four years of crowdfunding experience to the table, having run 9 KS campaigns and taught other creators how to have success on that platform, but I’m a total Patreon Newbie. But, I can now say, that I am a Patreon Creator. On Friday, Aug 5. I pushed the LAUNCH button on the Club ComixLaunch Patreon page, and on Sunday August 7, I started promoting it to the ComixLaunch audience.

Thank you, James Haick of Solar Flare our first patron!
James was on a great episode of ComixLaunch — 037 – Serializing Your Comic on Kickstarter with Solar Flare’s James Haick, was on Waynes Comics Podcast Major Spoilers.com and he called out James as one to rock. Thank you James.
Will also be shouting out the rest of our new Club ComixLaunch Patrons at the end of the show!

James and 11 others helped us knock out our very first Patreon Goal: Which was to cover the Monthly Media Hosting for the Podcast! Thanks to Club ComixLaunch patrons, our monthly Libsyn.com media bill of $20 per month is now fully taken care of! Media hosting allows 24-7 access and lightning fast downloads of the ComixLaunch Podcast on iTunes and on ComixLaunch.com. Your support means those downloads will no longer cost the ComixLaunch team anything to deliver to creators like you. We’ve already started making progress towards our next goal, which is to cover the cost of producing one full episode of the ComixLaunch podcast.

Show Updates & Shoutouts

ComixLaunch.com/PatreonChecklist has been updated with some new content from this episode. This is a WIP Google Doc containing the information that I’m finding most useful to Launch. Finally, I’m also keeping a Patreon Launch Journal for 30 days over at the ComixLaunch blog. One of the things that a lot of creators are concerned about when it comes to Patreon is how to actually get Patrons. How to encourage readers, fans, subscribers, and followers on social media into Patrons? Here’s what I know… there’s no silver bullet. There’s no one single action you will take that will take you from a Patreon Page with no Patrons to a page full of Patrons… Rather, it’s the cummulation of a series of actions… the alchemy of audience engagement, and the ability to craft the right message, to the right audience, at the right time.

I also know that what you measure you can manage, and what you manage, you can improve.
So, to demonstrate those principles, and to hopefully demystify the Patreon Launch Process I’ve decided to keep a “Diary or Journal” for 30 Days, documenting actions and results.

Actions – What I’m doing every day to promote the Patreon.
Results – How those actions directly impact the number of Patrons who have sized up.ComixLaunch.com/PatreonLaunchJournal to check that out.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Okay, we’re going to begin by breaking down the basic elements of a Patreon page.

What are all the pieces of content you’ll need to bring to the table to craft a patreon page?
What do you need to get started?
What are some tips and best practices to keep in mind as you start building your page.

Check if okay that people see who you pledge to.
Uncheck if you want projects you support kept a secret.

2)Cover Image

1200 x 600 is what they call for.
Double it and make it a PNG – 2400 x 1200
If you’re including copy, in your image, keep it in the middle 50%

3) Payment Settings

How do you want to charge your Patrons. – 2 options

Monthly – Charge Patrons at the start of every month.
Example – Club ComixLaunch set up on a monthly recurring basis. Pick a $ amount, and Patreon will charge that amount on the first of the month, every month.

Per Creations – Charge Patrons only when you make a Paid Post.
Example – Jason Brubaker, posts a paid update every Friday containing all of the work he’s done the previous week, and when that update goes live, his Patrons are charged.
Another Example – Jamie Gambell set up a Patreon on a per issue basis. Whenever he posts a new issue of one of his comics, his Patrons are charged.

It’s a clear A or B decision, but which is the best for you and your project is a lot more complicated than that. I’ll be doing a whole session focused on this topic, and will be trying to bring on creators who are taking both approaches to help us determine what’s right for you.

4) Description – Why are You On Patreon – [Your Story, Your Pitch]

“Use this section to share more about what you do and how pledges will help you do it”
Free for all — Rich text editor

HTML Code
Formatting
Bullets
Indenting
Images
Videos
Links

Essentially, this is a sales page.
The key skill here is copyrighting… and if you ask most business people, the ability to write effective sales copy is one of the best skills to develop.
At the same time, it’s the opportunity to showcase you and to be real with your audience.
Writing your project description is another HUGE topic, and one that I’ll be devoting a whole episode to in this Patreon Launch Series.

5) Intro Video

Upload a video from YouTube
Not required
Will plug in right above your project description
Long or as short as you like.
Content up to you.
And, you guessed it, we’ll be doing another session on Patreon videos!

6) Goals

A Familiar Crowdfunding Element

Unlike KS, Goals is plural.
Also, unlike KS, there are no stakes tied to Patreon Goals.
Completely at the Creators discretion.
No obligation to create any goals.
But we know psychologically the power of goals…

More likely to hit a target when you have a clear target you’re aiming for.
Enables you to break big goals (world domination, etc.) into smaller, manageable chunks.
Charts your progress.

Entirely up to YOU!

A few examples:

Emily Gillis of Wayward Studios is creating Comicshttps://www.patreon.com/waywardstudios
At $100 a month, we will launch monthly livestreams where you can ask questions, request sketches, and take a peek inside our creative process.

Jay D’Ici & Matt G. Gagnon is creating a weekly comic book Conceptual Heisthttps://www.patreon.com/conceptualheist
$250 – We will switch from twice a week to 3 times a week which will speed us to the end of book one. All our Patreons get their names in our hall of fame!
Goals will also get its own detailed Patreon Launch episode! (Broken record!)

7) Rewards

Should also be familiar to other crowdfunding sites… this is what pledgers get in exchange for their Patronage!
But remember, Patreon is by design, less about the physical things they get.
One Patreon creator recently surveyed her audience about why they support her on Patreon, and only 6% of said they do it for the Rewards.
The most common question from the Patreon Survey is REWARDS REWARDS REWARDS.
Because of that, the very next session will be a deep dive on Rewards, and I’m bringing on Anthony Christou of Luminous Ages for the Rewards Discussion.
But the rewards you choose are entirely up to you…

Start at $1 per month or creation
Usually for $1 per month, backers will get a thank you, access to your Patreon posts… and not much else.

That’s what I set up as the $1 level for Club ComixLaunch… listeners of this show, getting at least 25cents worth of value an episode… don’t need much more than that and it’s still a great deal.

Bump up a Level

Donathin Frye is creating graphic novels (Webcomic Atonement)https://www.patreon.com/AtonementComic
Pledge $5 or more per month
At the $5 level, in addition to all of the rewards above, you’ll also receive a special “art only” HD version of every page, so that you can look at Kijori’s gorgeous work without any distractions! You’ll also be sent the behind-the-scenes page and panel draft sketches for every page of Atonement!

Up to as much as you’d like.

Liz Staley is creating a webcomic called Adrastus!

https://www.patreon.com/adrastuscomic
Pledge $10 or more per month
Every patron at this level gets the perks from the previous levels, but they also get a special gift mailed to their door each month! The gift might be a limited edition button, a printed art card, or anything else I might dream up! (Minimum of 2 months of this pledge to receive monthly mailing- rewards will be sent out the second month that your pledge goes through)

https://www.patreon.com/icwxp
Pledge $60 or more per video
Flux Namtari will thank you live via Skype Call for 15 minutes! You guys can chat about anything! Though, we won’t be held responsible for his comments. Plus all lesser prizes except a call from Topsy!
Plus All Previous Rewards

Tune in next week to go deeper into REWARDS on Patreon

8) Thank You Page

Craft the Page that Patrons will see directly after you
Patreon says: “This page shows up after someone pledges to you. Be creative with your personal message! You can even offer an immediate gift like links to free songs, videos, photos, etc.”
Same Rich Text Editor that you’ll use to craft your Page Description.
Here’s where I chose to put the Club ComixLaunch Welcome Kit!

Wanted Club ComixLaunch Patrons to INSTANTLY receive value.
So I put together a download that contains some of our best resources:
5 Things You Must Do Before You Launch a Kickstarter [Checklist – PDF]
How to Choose Paper Stock for Your Book with Kraken Print [Guide – PDF]
Kickstarter Update Guide: 19 Types of Updates to Send to Your [Guide – PDF]
7 Keys to Your Best Launch Ever [Workshop – MP3]

Again, entirely up to you what you do here, but this is an outstanding place to surprise your Patrons and roll out the red-carpet for them.

patreon.com/ [your choice]
Usually creator name or what they’re creating

Adult Content

Checkbox – Content contains sexula imagery or nudity.

This means the page will not be listed in our site’s search engine.

There have been a lot of creators who use Patreon as a place for NSFW content or R-Rated content that they put behind a paywall.

Brag Guigar – Evil Inc, Evil Inc After Dark.

In mid 2014, Paypal suddenly came down hard, saying wouldn’t be associated with payments for any adult content.

Recently, Patreon got a notice that they were shutting down the entire integration with Patreon because of the Adult Content on their site — FROZE hundreds of thousands of dollars for funds.
Had to take action , flag ADULT pages, make them private, and remove Paypal functionality.

Recently, changed again…

Adult Content Tag.

What’s allowed: “Patreon is not for pornography, but some of the world’s most beautiful and historically significant art often depicts nudity and sexual expression. Because of that, we allow nudity and suggestive imagery, as long as it is marked as Adult Content. If your work contains nudity or any material that could potentially be offensive to users, make absolutely sure to mark the page as Adult Content in the creator description when creating your page. Think of the policy as allowing “R Rated” movies… but not porn. In keeping with our strong commitment to safety, we have zero tolerance for content that sexualizes children in any way.”

Creators with adult content flagged can accept payments from Patreon using Paypal again.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Club ComixLaunch

ComixLaunch listeners, are you ready to take your crowdfunding game to the next level?
If so, I’d love for you to join me and your fellow creators inside Club ComixLaunch on Patreon.
I’ve opened Club ComixLaunch to help continue and expand on the ComixLaunch mission of increasing the number of creators equipped to harness the power of the Kickstarter platform to bring amazing independent projects to life.
As a Club ComixLaunch member, you’ll have access to a number of exclusive perks and privileges, such as:

A shout out on the ComixLaunch Podcast for you and your project.

Access to the ComixLaunch Club exclusive Patreon feed for even more mindset, strategies and tactics to get your project funded.

The ComixLaunch Club Insider Monthly Kickstarter Resource which might be a guide, checklist, cheat sheet, template, or bonus training video designed to help you launch.

Priority enrollment in ComixLaunch Courses

Discounts on Courses, Books and Upcoming Premium Products

You can even sponsor an episode of the ComixLaunch podcast through Patreon.

And as the Club Grows, so do the perks…
See, there is a direct correlation between listener support and the value ComixLaunch can provide, and as the club expands, we hope to offer:

Monthly Kickstarter Page Critiques

Club Exclusive Chats and Q&As

Bonus Sessions of the ComixLaunch Podcast.

Full podcast transcripts for every episode.

And much more!

For as little as a dollar a month, you can access Club ComixLaunch today, help keep the podcast going and improving, and take your crowdfunding game to the next level.
Membership has its privileges, and to get a taste of them absolutely free, please go to ComixLaunch.com/club and download a free Club ComixLaunch VIP Insider bonus resources today.

Let’s get you ready for your best launch yet!
I’ll see you inside the Club!

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s PatreonLauncher.
A PatreonLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

Not only does it make the show better… by uncovering the pain points and questions you have…
It let’s me identify creators out there with lessons to share.
Most of the examples of creators who’s Patreon’s I mentioned in this show came from people who filled out the survey.

Wrap Up

Covered the Elements of a Patreon Page… There’s a lot.

5 Tips for Building and (More Importantly) Launching Your Page

#1) A good Page Takes Time

I probably spent about 15-20 hours on the Club ComixLaunch Patreon page… plus additional time thinking about it, jotting down ideas, etc.
It’s time well spent, though…
Not Urgent, but Important Category — 15-20 hours upfront, but ideals will be a source of funding for you for years to come. (That’s time well spent.)
There will be other things more “urgent” (posting on social media, checking your email, finishing that commission, etc. but will be less important.
So block out the time and get it done.

#2) Expect a buggier editing experience on Patreon than you’re used to with Kickstarter.

We get spoiled on the Internet… everything is awesome, and we expect it all to work
Expecting a Kickstarter like experience on Patreon will set you up for disappointment.
Editor is fairly user friendly for bloggers, but there are some things we come to expect that Patreon doesn’t do.
Only hosts some images for you. Most images they require you to upload the image URL.
Means you create image and size appropriately
Upload to your own website.
Get URL for the image
Paste link to image in the Image loader.
Don’t host video, upload to YouTube.
There were a few times where I lost progress… whether failure to save on my part, or timing out, either way… experience was less than what I was used to building 9 KS pages.

#3) Profile Image – Be the Face of Your Page

#4) Add Images Wherever You Can

Break Up Your Copy
Add to Goals
Add to Rewards
Visualize your Rewards

#5) Perfect is the enemy of progress

Let Your Page Evolve Over Time
I was stressed… I had my launch date in mind. Wanted Patreon Launch to coincide with the launch of the Patreon series of the podcast.
But time was the enemy…
Yes, I wanted a great page. But the only reason I was able to hit my deadline was because I made the decision to launch WITHOUT a Video.
SHOCKED! And something I would NEVER do for a Kickstarter…
Because once you click GO on a Kickstarter project, that clock gets ticking, you only have one chance to make that first impression, and every second that goes by your campaign is one second closer to ending.
But NOT on Patreon. There is no clock!
And in fact, launching without a video gave me permission to focus on the content and copy and other extra pieces of value, like the Welcome Kit and the Kickstarter Updates Guide, our first VIP Resource for Patrons (which is available free at comixlaunch.com/club
Might not have been done or be as well-done if I was fretting over a video.
Also, adding a video in a few weeks from now gives me a new opportunity to plug the Patreon!
If you’re not embarrassed by the first version of your product, you waited too long to ship it.” -Reid Hoffman
Best example of this: Google iPod Generation 1 and compare to ipod or iphone now.
So, do put in the work, put together a strong page. But know it will never be perfect and can always be improved… so, give yourself a deadline, block out sufficient time to hit it, and then LAUNCH!

Before we go, I have some Club ComixLaunch Shoutouts to Make!

One of the benefits of joining the club is that I’ll give you a personalized thank you on the show!
Christo Van Wyk
Writer working on some cool sci-fi horror mash-up stories.
Working with Sam LeBas on edits… taking things seriously.
Be launching some KS in the future.

GloriAnne Rose Dairo
Listening from the Phillipines –

“I just want to say I love your podcast(s). While I can’t have a Kickstarter here (will probably resort to IndieGoGo — or maybe Patreon will be better for me, we’ll see), your podcasts are still a big motivation. They help remind me that it IS going to be a rough road ahead, and will probably cherish my art/comic/graphic-novel journey all the more for it. Your podcasts even helped me stay focused and keep my chin up while job hunting these past half of 2016. So hats off to you. Keep this going, please. You help so many people — even if it’s not with comics or Kickstarters.”

James Burton II

Talented artist, working on a few projects, and planning Kickstarters in the future.
Also knows a think or two about fulfillment and logistics. Good guy to know, and all around good guy period.

Peggy Vogel-Nagengast

Would not be a show, or a ComixTribe, or pretty much anything.
My mom.
Musician. Music teacher

Thank you to these creators who helped us reach our first Patreon milestone… and there are more who we’ll be shouting out in future sessions.

Closing

Alright, there you have it. You now know exactly what’s required to build yourself a effective Patreon page.
In the next session of Patreon Launch, we’re going to tackle the topic most of you are most concerned about, and that’s Patreon

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Last month, more than $6 million dollars in monthly recurring funding was raised for creators like us
via the Patreon platform. It’s time we looked a little closer at this growing crowdfunding platform. Are you ready for Patreon Launch? In this first part of the series, Tyler breaks down the differences between Kickstarter and Patreon, with the help of special guest Jason Brubaker.

This session is sponsored by

Session Table Setting

It’s your friend Tyler James and you’re listening to ComixLaunch, though, to be fair, you might be able to call these next couple of episodes the Patreon Launch Podcast… because we’re diving deep into this crowdfunding platform over the next month.
Now, I will be the first to admit that this is me jumping into unfamiliar waters. I speak on the topic of Kickstarter with some authority. Nine campaigns and working with students on Kickstarters will do that. But until this week, I’ve never launched a Patreon campaign, so I’m seeing this platform with fresh eyes. So, why should you listen to me? Well, I have been doing my homework. And more importantly, I’ve been listening and talking to creators who have had success on Patreon, as well as others who are just getting their Patreon pages rolling. So, we’re in this together and by the end of this series, I really hope to produce one of the best all around guides for getting going on Patreon that’s out there.

If you’re tuning into the show for Kickstarter tips, and have no interest in Patreon at all, I understand that. I would strongly suggest you listen to this episode though, because there are some key distinctions between the platforms that I believe every creator should be aware of, even if Patreon is not your focus.
If you’ve been considering launching a Patreon for a while, or have launched yours and are looking for tips on how to best leverage the platform, you’re definitely in the right place.

Enroll – Special Download
I’ve created a special BONUS RESOURCE for you all, called the ULTIMATE PATREON LAUNCH CHECKLIST. This resource is a Google Doc, and as of this recording, it’s still a work in progress. As I bring on new guests and continue to go deeper and deeper into what works on Kickstarter, I’ll be continuing to add to, tweak, and refine this checklist. Now, the link you’ll get to the checklist is a doc that you can access, save as a new copy for yourself. And you can also comment on the doc itself, so in a sense, we’re going to hopefully crowdsource some wisdom here to help make this really an incredible resource for creators.ComixLaunch.com/patreonchecklist to access the Ultimate Patreon Launch Checklist.
This is a living document and when I make updates to it, I’ll let you know on the show.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Part 1 of Patreon Launch – Kickstarter vs Patreon:

What are the similarities? Differences? Who is each platform for? And which is right for you at this point in your career?

Two years ago, I wrote an article on ComixTribe.com titled: “A $95,000 Tip Jar for Comics? 10 Thoughts on Patreon.” Since published, that’s been, by far, the most read post on ComixTribe.com and I’ll include a link in the show notes:http://www.comixtribe.com/2014/03/31/a-95000-tip-jar-for-comics-10-thoughts-on-patreon/
It’s funny, two years ago seems like forever in some regards, but the fundamental different between Kickstarter and Patreon remains the same.

Here’s how I opened that article two years ago:

“Despite Kickstarter announcing that it has crossed the $1 billion pledged mark, it is no longer the cool new kid on the crowdfunding block. Already a maturing platform, recent headlines of project implosions and high-profile Kickstarter scams have taken some of the bloom off the rose. Patreon, a new site that supports ongoing crowdfunding, is the hip new platform for crowdfunders. While Patreon has been blowing up for musicians and YouTube video creators, in just the past few months, I’ve witnessed dozens of comic creators flock to the nascent crowdfunding site in search of ongoing funding for a variety of projects, including funding long-running webcomics, completely new projects, digital subscription services, comics related podcasts, and much more. As a nascent platform, the rules are still being written, and I’ll admit, I’m still trying to wrap my head around it.”

What is Patreon?

I think the concept of a Tip Jar is one of the best analogy for Patreon. I titled that article a $95,000 Tip Jar for Comics, first, because that’s an attention getting title, and two, because I was looking at one of the superstars of Patreon in the Comics World, Zach Weinersmith of Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, a long-running webcomic.
At the time of that article, 2,932 patrons where committed to paying Zach $7,911 per month of webcomics for his work over at SMBC.
Important to note, and this is something that a lot of creators seem to miss, Zach was not setting up his Patreon as a No-Pay, No Comics scenario.
SMBC is still available for free for all at it’s website, whether you back his Patreon or not. Now, two years later, Zach’s Patreon page is going strong.
Currently 3,389 Patrons — more than 400 more than two years ago.
And he’s earning $6,851 per month of comics, which does drop it down to an $82,212 tip jar for comics.
However, I should note that recently, Patreon changed the number it displays on the Page. Two years ago, it was showing the total amount of funding pledged, as Kickstarter does.
However, as anyone who’s done a KS knows, the amount pledged is not the amount the creator actually receives.

Recently, Patreon made the decision, after lots of creator feedback, that the public-facing dollar amount should reflect what the creator actually takes home, so that number posted now reflects:

1) Transaction Fees
2) Patreon’s 5% commission
3) Declined Pledges

They’re doing this for better transparency, but it was not without its challenges. We’ll get to it later, but Patreon has a Milestone bonus and goal system built into it, where reaching certain funding milestones unlock different rewards.
Well, changing this calculation meant that creators who were over a threshold suddenly got jolted back below it, which I know was a bit of a disruption.
Shouldn’t affect any of us going forward now.
Point being, Zach Weinersmith’s SMBC, two years later, still taking home more than $80,000 on the Patreon Platform, which is just one of many sources of revenue for his business, is still enough to grab my attention.

Kickstarter vs. Patreon is the wrong question.

Zach is a great example of this, as he is a creator who has effectively harnessed BOTH platforms. In addition to the regular monthly revenue generated by his Patreon, Zach has launched 7 successful Kickstarter projects over the past three years that have collectively raised nearly $1.5 million in funding. He has two of the top ten most funded comic Kickstarters of all time. Now, Zach is an outlier, his success is not reflective of the experience of most webcomic creators. But just because he’s an outlier, doesn’t mean we should dismiss it. Rather, we should model what he’s doing, and his approach, and ask the right questions.
It’s not, “which crowdfunding platform should I use: Kickstarter or Patreon?” But rather – When and for what projects should I use Kickstarter? And when and for what projects should I use Patreon.

History and Size and a few key numbers:

Kickstarter

Founded April 2009 (7 years old)
Raised about $10 M in funding.
Live $33 Mil Pledged live on KS, expect 28 Million will be successful, and 25.5 million will make it into the hands of creators.
Kickstarter about 5x Patreon… by these numbers.

Patreon

Founded May 2013 (3 years old)
Raised a total of $47.1 M in investments
About have of the artists on Patron are YouTubers.
According to Graphtreon https://graphtreon.com/patreon-stats
Over $6M in monthly payouts to creators.
4% of the wealth on Patreon goes to top 10 creators on the platform.
As of this month, there are 8,674 creators on the Patreon Platform who are earning at least $100+ per month.
1,086 earning at least $1000+ per month
269 earning more than $3000 per month

Both platforms that bring you closer with and engaging with your biggest supporters. (Backers and Patrons)

A strong presence and fluency with social media is required… both Kickstarter and Patreon are social platforms.

A large and engaged email list is key to success on each platform… ListLaunch course.

Both platforms require a lot of work to put into it to successfully launch… Kickstarter and Patreon provide a strong foundation and toolset… but it’s how you use that tool that will ulitmately make the biggest difference.

Patreon Creator’s Perspective
Several months back, I had Jason Brubaker on the ComixLaunch podcast (session 45 How to Build Trust with your audience.) While I had Jason on the podcast, he was nice enough to stick around for an extra 30 minute interview all on Patreon, that was not played back on Session 45. However, Clips from that interview will be shared throughout this series on Patreon. Here’s the first one:

Jason, you’ve raised over $200K in Kickstarter funding across 4 successful projects. But for more than 2 years, you’ve also benefited from crowdfunding via Patreon, where patrons have been supporting you monetarily for very Comic Update you post. As of today, you have 171 patrons contributing $449 per comic update… (which is a much better page rate than most publishers pay, I might add.)
As I’ve committed this month to going deeper into understanding Patreon myself, and launching an Patreon to help support the ComixLaunch podcast, you’re the perfect person to help clarify for me and my audience the key differences between the two platforms.

1) From your knowledgeable perspective, and as it regards the independent creator, what are the key differences between Patreon and Kickstarter?
2) Have you noticed any differences between Patrons and Backers? Are they the same people?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Club ComixLaunch

ComixLaunch listeners, are you ready to take your crowdfunding game to the next level?
If so, I’d love for you to join me and your fellow creators inside Club ComixLaunch on Patreon.
I’ve opened Club ComixLaunch to help continue and expand on the ComixLaunch mission of increasing the number of creators equipped to harness the power of the Kickstarter platform to bring amazing independent projects to life.
As a Club ComixLaunch member, you’ll have access to a number of exclusive perks and privileges, such as:

A shout out on the ComixLaunch Podcast for you and your project.

Access to the ComixLaunch Club exclusive Patreon feed for even more mindset, strategies and tactics to get your project funded.

The ComixLaunch Club Insider Monthly Kickstarter Resource which might be a guide, checklist, cheat sheet, template, or bonus training video designed to help you launch.

Priority enrollment in ComixLaunch Courses

Discounts on Courses, Books and Upcoming Premium Products

You can even sponsor an episode of the ComixLaunch podcast through Patreon.

And as the Club Grows, so do the perks…
See, there is a direct correlation between listener support and the value ComixLaunch can provide, and as the club expands, we hope to offer:

Monthly Kickstarter Page Critiques

Club Exclusive Chats and Q&As

Bonus Sessions of the ComixLaunch Podcast.

Full podcast transcripts for every episode.

And much more!

For as little as a dollar a month, you can access Club ComixLaunch today, help keep the podcast going and improving, and take your crowdfunding game to the next level.
Membership has its privileges, and to get a taste of them absolutely free, please go to ComixLaunch.com/club and download a free Club ComixLaunch VIP Insider bonus resources today.

Let’s get you ready for your best launch yet!
I’ll see you inside the Club!

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [056] Patreon Questions: What questions do you have about Patreon?

Wrap Up

You’ve heard my perspective on the Kickstarter vs. Patreon, and you’ve also heard awesome thoughts and advice from Jason Brubaker.
I’d like to wrap up this first episode in our series on Patreon with 3 Key Takeaways that you should know about Patreon, and how it’s distinct from KS.

1) Patreon is more about the Person than the Perks

Jerks will have a tough time on Pareon.
Patreon is not primarily focused on selling PRODUCT…it’s selling PEOPLE.
I’ve made the point in the past that on Kickstarter passion (that of the creator and of the fan) is as important as the product. On Patreon, passion is MORE important than the product.
If you are a consumer and you want more stuff, or you’re a creator and you want to sell stuff…Patreon doesn’t have all that much to offer you. It’s a lousy storefront. But that’s not the point of it.
As they’ve said in their marketing material, Patreon is a place to “support and engage with the creators you love.” Perks, if there are any, are just that. Lagniappe. A lil’ something extra, but not the reason you came.
That’s fundamentally different than other crowdfunding platforms.
And it also means that if nobody loves you yet, if you’re not regularly putting out something of value that people love (or you’re a major jerk) you’re going to have a hard time seeing much of a return on Patreon.

2) A Patreon Creator wants a salary, not a Kickstart.

What a creator is saying is essentially Pay me so I can keep making stuff I want to make (ie: fund my creative life)
This is a concept that is controversial on Kickstarter, but seems to be perfectly okay on Patreon.

Here’s how Jon Rosenberg of Goats and Scenes From a Multiverse fame described what his Patrons are funding on Patreon:

My name is Jon Rosenberg. I’m the award-winning creator of the Scenes From A Multiverse and Goats webcomics. Please help me to make more comics! By becoming a patron, you’ll help offset the business and living costs of me, the cartoonist. That means more comics for you!
1043 patrons are currently proving Jon $3,095 a month, essentially a $37K annual salary before taxes.

On Kickstarter, the phrase “offset the business and living costs” would surely set off some backers. How many times have you heard people condemn projects on Kickstarter that included things like rent or other living expenses as a part of their budgets?
Sentiments like: “I’ll give you money to help you print your book, but I’m not signing on to pay your mortgage!” sort of thinking is common.
For whatever reason, Patreon is different… and that’s a good thing.
The truth is, creating comics (or podcasts or youtube vias or ART in general) is not free. It costs time (tons of it) which could almost always be spent on more lucrative (though usually less fulfilling)

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Statistically, the comics category on Kickstarter is the category most likely to have creators return to the platform after having a successful campaign… but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Tyler chats with Vito Delsante, writer of Stray, about the challenges, strategies, and tactics of bringing backers back for another Kickstarter.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Session Table Setting

Stick around until the end of the episode, as we’ll be announcing the winners of the SuperShow Bundle giveaway!

Statistically, the comics category on Kickstarter is the category most likely to have creators return to the platform after having a successful campaign.
Often taken for granted that being successful on Kickstarter once means you’ve cracked the code, and it’s easier to fund the next time.
But is that always the case… have a great guest, and we’ll be talking about the challenge of getting Backers Back to Kickstarter for subsequent campaigns. Mindset, strategy, tactics, lessons learned, and so on.
Sound good?

Listener Feedback

Recently in ComixLaunch Session 52 & 53, it was a two part master class on titles… series titles and project titles.
For the ComixLaunchers, I invited listeners to submit their titles for some feedback… and I’m going to share a couple of submissions with you, and I’ll give you my thoughts.

Before I give feedback on the project name structure, I want to touch on the title a little bit. Here’s the good: RJ owns this space. Google Shades of Arca and every single mention is related to RJ’s comic. So, as he builds it, there will be very little brand confusion. It’s relatively short and rolls off the tongue fairly well, just like:

Mines of Moria
Game of Thrones
Wheel of Time

One thing that is a challenge and potentially a mistake, especially when starting out, is relying on the name of your fictional universe or world to carry the title. Arca doesn’t have any real meaning to me, and I would guess to most people. Now, the reason we do this is because so many of our favorite books or series do this sort of thing:

Chronicles of Narnia
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
The Chronicles of Prydain
The Book of Three
The Black Cauldren

Likewise, the word Shades… D&D players and your target audience know “Shades = demon or spirit” but that’s not what I think most people attach with that word. So, your title is [little known use of a word] of [made up place]… and as a result, may not instantly have the sort of impact of a fantasy title comprised of words everyone knows:

A Song of Ice and Fire
The Wheel of Time
Lord of the Rings

Am I saying change the title? No… but I want those listeners out there naming their projects to think about these things.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guest Introduction: Vito Delsante
My guest today is a NYC based comic book writer and graphic novelist who has written for DC Comics, Marvel Comics, Image Comics, AdHouse Books, and Simon & Schuster, among others and his stories have been reprinted throughout the world. He has a project called STRAY – The Ongoing Series, with artist Sean Izaakse, which is currently funded on Kickstarter with a bit of time left on the clock. Stray is published and distributed by the fine folks at Action Lab Entertainment.

Welcome to ComixLauch, Vito Delsante.

Vito, glad to have you on the podcast… we’ve known each other for while, dating as far back, I believe, as the 2012 30 Characters Challenge… or maybe even 2011 NYCC. I’m really excited to talk to you because I think you’ll be a great guest to talk to about an important topic relevant to creators who plan on making Kickstarter a key plank in their business strategy.

What is Today’s Episode About?

The challenge of bringing backers back to future Kickstarter campaigns.

Guiding Discussion Questions

You recently set out a Kickstarter update to backers of your first Kickstarter campaign for STRAY that caught my attention. With your permission, I’d like to share that update with the ComixLaunch listeners, and then ask you a few questions about it?

Update #66 For backers only: Honest Question Time

So, I was looking over the backer report for the new Kickstarter campaign and I see a lot of new names, names that weren’t with us for this campaign. A lot of new names……but not a lot of old ones.
So, I have to ask a very atypical, and maybe a very personal, question.
Have we let you down?
Feel free to comment here as this is a Backers Only post and will not be seen by the public (but will be seen by other backers, so please no profanity). I realize we’re still doing fulfillment and it’s extremely difficult to ask for your support when you were maybe disillusioned by the first campaign, but again, I have to know what we did wrong so I can fix it now.
-Vito

1) Definitely a different kind of update. Can you talk to me about your reason for sending it, and framing it the way you did?

2) You received a few comments back on your post… Anything surprise you from the comments or reactions?

3) Okay, let’s talk a bit about the current Stray campaign… Currently 11 days to go, a little under 200 backers, well over your $5,000 goal at $6,815, but still a ways away from matching the support and funding of your first Stray Campaign?
What were your expectations going in to this Kickstarter?

4) Statistically, there’s data that shows that creators who return to Kickstarter after their first successful campaign have a much greater success rate, tend to raise more funds, and get more backers when they return to Kickstarter. However, I’ve noticed that that’s often not the case in the comics space. What are some of the challenges you see for creators returning to Kickstarter, especially when they’re returning with a second campaign for the same property?

5) Do you think the presence of a publisher (in Stray’s case Action Lab) can actually hurt funding on a platform like Kickstarter, which seems to favor independent creators? What are the pros and cons of working with a small press publisher vs going at it alone that creators should consider?

Speed Round

1) Finish this sentence: “Kickstarter is _______.”

A young and growing platform for new creators.

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

If you love horror… But hate horror cliches, then Untold #1 is for you!

The Untold is a 28 page black and white horror comic, which features splashes of color throughout.
The story is written by life long horror fan Daniel Farrand, with pencils by Johannes Vick and inking by Peter Pamiotti.
Daniel steps away from the stereotypes of the horror genre, — no Vampires, Werewolves or scantily clad damsels in distress. Instead, he brings a warped and twisted world of psychological unease and striking visual gore to create a truly terrifying experience.

Right now, Daniel is offering ComixLaunch listeners an extra incentive to pledge.

Simply comment “comixlaunch” when pledging to receive print by Peter Palmiotti, that is not currently available on Kickstarter absolutely free.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [055]Do something extra special for someone in your life who supports your creativity. Vito’s “secret weapon” being his wife struck a chord.

Regardless of what you’re trying to create, your audience is on Facebook. As such, if there’s one platform you should be leveraging to grow your audience, it’s the house that Zuck’s built. In this session, you’ll learn 10 super simple tips to maximize the power of your Facebook page to get you ready to launch your next Kickstarter.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Featured Resource – FreshBooks

Session Table Setting

Listener Feedback

Probably the Best Kickstarter Resource available and it’s FREE – 5 Stars
Aaron M Williams
“An amazing podcast that gives you the insight, lessons-learned, and actionable tips from the best on the Kickstarter comics platform. If you are even thinking about putting a project on Kickstarter, this podcast is for you.”

Thanks Aaron!
Aaron just launched the Comics Manifest podcast cast: Inspiring Interviews with Amazing and Influential Creators in Comics 3 days a week.
I was honored to be Aaron’s 4th guest… Check out Episode 4, I share my lowest moment as a creator…
Show off to a great start and you guys should check it out.

Today, I’m going to share some of my absolute best tips on how to prep and maximize your Facebook page in advance of a Kickstarter project. Now, we’ve talked about FB a bunch on this show, usually FB Ads. (See Session 28 with James Ferguson) Not talking about FB ads today… everything I’m going to share today is absolutely Free.
Why important?
Your Audience is on Facebook

1.65 Billion Active users (logged into FB during last 30 days)
25 million people interested in comic books in the US
Comic Books, Knitting & Hulk Hogan in Oregon – 1,900

It’s the King of Social Media Platforms. It has more users than Instagram, Twitter, Tumblr, Snapchat combined and it’s advancing every day.

It’s getting harder and harder to get people to discover our stuff outside of a platform like FB

Webcomic
Blog Post
Podcasts

All of us should at least have some FB presence.
Without FB, there would be no C is for Cthulhu… at least no six figure sales.

10 Facebook Pro-tips for Creators

1)You need a Facebook Page.

FB Business page, not a personal page.
Yes, FB does get personal page a leg up in feed…
But PP are capped as to how big they can get.
Your options are limited — Insights, promoted posts, FB ads, etc… none of that is possible on personal page.
At first, you will get less engagement on your business page than on personal… but you need to power through that for the long term benefits.

2) You need an attractive profile image and banner

Canva.com has FB page banner designer as one of the templates.
Change this in advance of a promotion.
a week to a month before Kickstarter
Kickstarter opens
Final week

3) Sweeten the Banner with an Attractive Offer

Ex. ComixLaunch: Click here for free Kickstarter resources

4) Recognize that Facebook does not Treat all Content Equally

Image Post > Post
Canva for Social Media Images
Set up a Template
Do them in batches
CHUM six word surf noir
Video Post > Image Post
Add a bit of text to the opening of your videos… FB auto plays on mute
Live Video Post > Video Post
Don’t expect your live numbers to be huge… at first.
But know that your video will live on and get pushed into the feed… and far more than just about anything else you publish.

5) Native video. Don’t post links from YouTube.

6) Avoid exclusively Auto-posting.

Context over Content.

7) Use your Call to Action Button

Send them to your website
Your online store
Your Kickstarter

8) Post Daily… but don’t worry

OPC
Don’t have to all be your content.
In fact, many of the biggest FB pages share more of OPC, other people’s content, than their own.
Who are the people and pages your audience would like?
Who’s radar do you want to get on?
Your Content
Quotes
Videos
Concept Sketchs
Offers

9) Micro-feedback Posts get sick engagement

Sometimes you’ll post and it feels like you’re shouting into the void… no comments, few likes.
Try asking for feedback… but make it STUPID simple.
A or B
Color
Cover Layout
Mulvey – Mummy Sequence
You’ll get a lot more comments and FB…
Which tells FB, hey, people like this guy or gals stuff… show more of it.
The name of the game on FB is ENGAGEMENT (Click, Like, Share)
Calls to Engagement help…

10) When they LIKE your posts, invite them to like your PAGE.

C is for Cthulhu Page is currently at over 14K likes.
Added about 4K likes over the past couple of months.
We were stuck below 10K for MONTHS… couldn’t understand it… we had ads running, the adds were getting a ton of likes and shares and leading to sales… but page likes were flat?
Why?
Because a Like on a Post isn’t a like on a Page.
But, if you click on a very popular post, you’ll see who liked it underneath
Ex Charlie B, Billie Jo and 6 others Like your Post
Click on that, and you’ll have the opportunity with a click to invite everyone who liked your post, but not your page, to like your page.
Then, when they do that… they’re more likely to see your stuff in their feed.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLaunch Featured Resource: FreshBooks

Are you keeping good track of the finances for your creative business?

And if so, are you trying to do it with rough spreadsheets you created yourself in Excel that you’re undisciplined about keeping up to date?

Take it from me, who did that for waaay too long, you need to stop wasting time and start using Freshbooks.

Accounting can be frustrating… but FreshBooks makes it EASY.

FreshBooks is specially designed for small businesses and creative entreprenuers like us.

Freshbooks saves you TIME by letting you Import expenses automatically from linked accounts and attach receipts to invoices so that come tax time, you’ll be organized and ready, not scrambling and in a full on panic.

FreshBooks also makes you look more professional and gets you paid faster with their fast branded invoicing options, and the ability to accept payments online.

FreshBooks keeps you up to date on your numbers, with beautiful automatically generated profit and loss statements, tax summaries, expense reports and more.

If you believe you add the most value to the world when you’re spending your time creating your next masterpiece rather than bean counting, then you owe it to yourself to give Freshbooks a try.

To get your time back and take control of your creative business finances once and for all, go toComixLaunch.com/freshbooks for a free-30 day trial, and I guarantee you’ll be glad you did.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [054] Run a FB Content Experiment Post one of each, one post each day:– A Text Only Post– An Image Post– A Video Post– A Live Video Post

Let it roll for a few days, and then check the organic reach of each type of content.
Which reached them most people?
Likes, Shares, comments?

Wrap Up

I hope those 10 FB Tips were super helpful to you. Whether you love or hate Facebook it’s undeniable that it is a powerful tool and platform. When you’re building an Audience (and you need an audience to have success on KS), FB is a great place to find more people who are interested in what you’re doing. You need to FISH where there FISH are swimming, and FB is the most stocked ocean in the world.
So maximize that channel…

Quote“The basis of our partnership strategy and our partnership approach: We build the social technology. They provide the music.” – Mark Zuckerberg

You’re providing the music… and today, FB is still one of the absolute best places to share it.

Thanks for Listening.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Many creators don’t give much thought to their Kickstarter project title… and that’s a big mistake. In this session, Tyler shares a great project naming formula that many successful creators have used to maximize funding for their projects, and loads of examples of projects with strong titles. Listen to this show, and you’ll know how to title your project for maximum funding.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Purebuttons, your go-to resource for custom buttons of all shapes and sizes.

Today, in part 2, we’re going to crack the code on Kickstarter project titles. Many of you simply title your campaigns with the title of your book. I’ve done that myself in the past. What I’ve discovered, however, is that is a mistake… and likely leaving attention and funding on the table.
Today, I’m going to teach you what to do instead.
Sound good?

Listener Feedback
Daniel Bishop of Tiger Crab Studios

Hi Tyler,I wanted to update you just to announce that our Kickstarter has been 100% funded with 4 days to go. A huge credit for that goes to you for your podcast, interviews and advice, so thank you for producing those resources. If there is anything I can do for you in the future please let me know.

Thanks Daniel and My reply
Definitely give session 44 a review as you head into the final stretch to finish strong.044 – 5 Killer Tips to Crush the Last 48 Hours of Your Kickstartercomixlaunch.com/session044
As far as anything you can do, reviews over at iTunes are always appreciated if you haven’t left one already. ComixLaunch.com/review

Suggesting the podcast to creators you chat with when Kickstarter comes up is the best thanks I can get. Word of mouth is the best way we grow.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Why Your Project Title is So Important
The project title is a crucial element as it’s what will be shared all over the internet
Project Image is most important image.
Project title most important piece of copy.
and is the first point of reference to what your project is about.
It’s your headline… paired with project image, it’s what will get the click or not.

After spending many hours researching best practices, what works and what doesn’t, I’m going to share with you how to share how to write the best pitch for your idea.
Cathryn looked at the most funded projects on Kickstarter
To start I looked at the top most funded ever projects on Kickstarter. They all went well beyond their funding goal, some by 26.56k%… crazy).
That’s why the most funded projects crafted their titles carefully.The Everyday Messenger: A Bag For Cameras & Essential Carry ($4,869,472)ZANO – Autonomous. Intelligent. Swarming. Nano Drone (£2,334,946)

The Formula: Product name: Unique Selling Point + Value Proposition

The Fiction Author’s Challenge? What the hell problem are we solving? Is my comic or graphic novel really solving a problem? Yes! The problem of boredom. The problem of offering up a specific kind of entertainment. The more specific, the better.

Questions we can ask:

Who is our book for?
How do they identify themselves?
What’s unique about our book?
What are they getting from our book that they can’t get anywhere else?
What the most valuable benefit from reading this book?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Episode Sponsor: PureButtons

When creating your Kickstarter projects, it’s absolutely essential to have a variety of pledge levels and awesome rewards for your backers. Making custom buttons of your most popular characters is an easy reward or add on you can bring to your campaign…and the folks at PureButtons can help. Specializing in custom buttons of all shapes and sizes, as well as button packs, fridge magnets, custom coasters and much more, PureButtons is my top recommendation for fast, reliable quality printing of buttons and more.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher [053] Apply the Project Naming Formula to the project you’re currently working on… Come up with THREE names. 60 characters or less.

Invite to share results @ comixlaunch.com/voicemail or in an email [email protected]
Seriously… what do you want? More people to know about the work you do… when people put offers out to share their platform TAKE it!
Hundreds to thousands of listeners who have backed collectively many many thousands of Kickstarter projects…
#JustSaying

Wrap Up

What is Unique about your book and what’s the value it’s bringing to what audience?

Quote

“Be clear first and clever second. If you have to throw one of those out, throw out clever.” – Jason Fried

Thanks for Listening.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Podcast Plug
Comicsexperience.com Podcast

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

A great title can do wonders for your project and career. In this first of two sessions on titles, Tyler shares his “Million Dollar Title” checklist. If you’re having trouble giving your next series a name, this session will help!

Today’s Session is brought to you by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Session Table Setting

Are you struggling to name your next book or series? Or are you starting to work on your next Kickstarter project and not sure exactly what to write for your project title? Titles are INCREDIBLY important; Important for you book success… and your Kickstarters.
I have an in-depth training queued up for you today that’s going to cover them both!

Jim Whiting crushed his second Kickstarter for Margo: Intergalatic Trashcollector #2. More than doubled the Backer
Jim a great guy, creator from my hometown Albany, NY!
Raised $2,607 pledged of $2,000 goal… more than doubled the # of backers for his first KS. (Any of you who’ve put out a #2 issue knows how hard it is to get anywhere close to the #s you do on #1… so great job there by Jim.

Michelle Palmer kicked major but on the Meraki campaign…
Raised $8,136 pledged of $5,000 goal for her first KS.
Snuck a sweeeet silver foil stretch goal upgrade in there right at the very end.

Love telling the stories of these creators running great campaigns, getting their projects funded and taking their careers to the next level. That’s what we’re all about here at ComixLaunch.ComixLaunch.com/course to get on the interest list for the next time we open our doors.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher 052Take a Title for a Project You’re working on… how does it do on the Million Dollar Title Checklist?Does it have at least 3 out of 5 elements?If not… do you still think it’s a million dollar title?

Why So Important
Invite to share results @ comixlaunch.com/voicemail or in an email [email protected]

Wrap Up

Show Summary / Final Lessons

Ironic
Says what it is
Short
Memorable
Passes the Internet Test
One more…
Does your title evoke something bigger than you and the book itself.

Bitch Planet
Black
C is for Cthulhu

Quote

“You can cling to a bad idea, you can re-pitch it six different ways or go get a bigger hammer in hopes of pounding it into place, but sooner or later it’s clear you either have to rethink it, or let it go.”

-Blake Snyder

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

In today’s session, Tyler brings on Dirk Vanover of Vanover Legal to talk comics, Kickstarter, contracts and more. Legal issues aren’t something that many creators pay much attention to… but as high profile cases in the comic and crowdfunding space demonstrate, it can be costly not to.

Today’s Session is brought to you by

Split Lip

Session Table Setting

Thanks for the great feedback on ComixLaunch 50! Very excited to have pulled that piece together for you, and equally excited to start fresh on the next 50 sessions of ComixLaunch!

Do you have questions about contracts? What about your legal liability of fulfillment as a Kickstarter creator?
It’s funny, over the past several weeks, I’ve been emailed by quite a few creators looking for legal advice on one thing or another… and I’ve been sending them directly to today’s guest. Yes, I’m thrilled to announce that ComixLaunch now has a go to legal expert… who will hopefully be a recurring guest on the show, as I know legal questions often trip creators up.

Listener Feedback

Don’t let the title keep you away, it’s more than comics! – Created4HisGlory“This podcast isn’t just for comic “fans”. I am working on a campaign that is in a completely different category and this podcast has helped me more than anything. Every time I hear the word “comic”, I just insert my own word. It’s truly a very helpful podcast.”

Thanks so much…
Super glad to hear that…

And yes, I recognize that the name ComixLaunch might make it harder to win-over people outside of the Comics, Graphic Novels and publishing space…
But it’s positive reviews like yours that definitely help.
Why the name ComixLaunch then? Why not something broader? A mistake a lot of us make is we go too broad because we don’t want to turn anyone away, and as a result we don’t attract anyone particular. If right now I have the #1 Kickstarter podcast for Comics Creators, it’s a small niche, but I would rather be #1 in a small niche and expand out from there, than be unremarkable in a big niche.
Now, at some point, I may revisit this, if it does seem like growth as capped by the name, but no plans on a brand change any time soon.
But just like Comic-Con has expanded to cover so much more than just comics, ComixLaunch was always meant to have tremendous value to creators of all stripes looking to bring their projects to life.
So if that’s you, inside or outside of comics… you’re in the right place and I’m thrilled to have you here.

Reminder —
Session 50 is in the rear view mirror, but there’s still time to enter the SuperShow Book Bundle Giveaway… 7 winners will be chosen, great odds.ComixLaunch.com/supershowbundle to register to win.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guest Introduction

My guest today is the founder of Vanover Legal, LLC, a company committed to delivering legal advice and guidance to clients quickly and effectively, and without unnecessary expense. He’s also an avid comic book fan, and loves diving deep into trademark, copyright, and right of publicity issues, which we all know pop up often in the world of comics. He also blogs about business and legal issues affecting the comics and entertainment industries at ComicsLawyer.com

Welcome to ComixLauch, Mr. Dirk Vanover

I need to thank you for reaching out to me… I get a lot of questions posed to me from listeners that have to do with the law, and I want to help them… but don’t want to send them in the wrong direction. I know you’ve been a Guest Lecturer at the International School of Comics and have spoken on panels… so I’m really excited to have you on to talk to my audience today. When people think of the Law, they don’t really think of comic books… but maybe they should. I know two comic retailers, Carmelo Chimera of Chimera’s Comics and Ernie Pelletiere who also practice the law. Writer Charles Soule is also a lawyer… Before we get into the heart of today’s episode, I’d love to hear how you got interested in comics?

What is Today’s Episode About?

Now, the topic of The Law… it’s a little scary and it’s a BIG topic. There’s so much we could cover, and definitely more than what we could cover well in the time we have, so I wanted to pick a topic that will be relevant to my entire audience, and one you know well, and that’s the topic of Contracts.

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) Before we dive in deep in the topic of Contracts as it relates to comics and Kickstarter, can you start by giving us some basic things we should understand about contracts? What’s the legal definition of a contract, what makes a contract binding or legitimate, and so forth… what should creators know in general, before we dive into specifics?

2) Okay, let’s dive into a little more specifics for creators and my listeners in particular… while many creators will be offered contracts by publishers, licensors, and so forth… the most common contracts will be between creators and other creators… and this is problematic because most creators aren’t legal scholars and many don’t have (or don’t think they can afford) the resources to higher a lawyer before they get started collaborating to make a book. What are some best practices independent creators should employ or things to think about when they enter into contracts with other independent creators?

3) Protecting IP is a big deal for a lot of creators… but also something that holds a lot of people back… waiting Trademark protection for toys, video games, and a movie before you’ve written a single page of your next great idea clearly isn’t a smart thing to do… What are the basics creators should know or do before they go bigger with their projects on KS.
4) Comics has actually seen it’s fair share of famous legal disputes

Besides obviously the spectator value of these things… what should creators take away from these famous cases?

5) While Kickstarter has been tremendously successful at bringing amazing projects to life, there have been some spectacular failures as well. While it’s infrequent, some of these big failures have resulted in lawsuits. What should ComixLaunch listeners know about their liability and responsibilities to deliver from a legal perspective?
Bonus Question: One of my students is working on a project he’s describing as a satirical art book which is a comment on our modern desensitization to violence where Super Mario gets killed on every page by one of his enemies. He’s hoping to be able to bring this to Kickstarter next year. Now, this immediately sends up warning bells for me… Is he in danger of getting sued for copyright infringement? What should he keep in mind and is there a way he can do something in the spirit of what he’s trying to do… while not running afoul of the law?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Split Lip

Sam Costello started Split Lip in 2006 to bring a new kind of horror to comics, a horror based on unsettling ideas that leave you so scared you’ll never want to turn the lights off.

As a special bonus, ComixLaunch listeners who back Split Lip receive Bringing Your Webcomic to Print, 10 lessons Sam learned from 10 years making comics that can save you time, aggravation, and money.

Every Split Lip story is complete and self-contained. So, whether you’ve been reading it since 2006 or starting now, the 10th anniversary book is for you.

If you enjoy dangerous stories for curious minds, check out the Split Lip 10th Anniversary Kickstarter at ComixLaunch.com/splitlip.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

The biggest ComixLaunch ever! In this session, you’ll hear fifty outstanding creators who have collectively raised millions of dollars on Kickstarter share their #1 crowdfunding tip. Get access to proven strategies from Greg Pak, Jason Brubaker, John Lee Dumas, Amy Chu, and many, many more. Plus, Tyler is joined by co-host Jeremy Melloul to cover highlights from the first 50 sessions of ComixLaunch, including the top 5 most downloaded shows. Then they’ll look forward to what’s in store for the next 50 sessions, including a big announcement. Oh, and there’s a big ComixLaunch Supershow Bundle Giveaway for listeners to enter as well. This one is HUGE!

Today’s Sponsor

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Session Table Setting

If this is your first time listening to the show, welcome. You’re in for a treat! This is our 50th Session, and we’re calling it a SuperShow for good reason. This is master class where you can pick the brains of some of the best minds in crowdfunding. I’ve been to conventions where there were Kickstarter panels before, but there’s never been a 50 creator Kickstarter panel! We’ve assembled a diverse range of creators who have collectively raised many, millions of dollars in crowdfunding and asked them all to share their #1 crowdfunding Tip with you.

How Today’s Show is Going to Work

Quick ComixLaunch 50 Recap with Jeremy Melloul

50 Tips from 50 Outstanding Creators

ComixLauncher: ComixLaunch SuperShow Contest Enter to Win the ComixLaunch SuperShow Book Bundle + 30 Minute Skype Call to Help Plan your first or Next Kickstarter

What’s coming up in the next 50 Episodes of ComixLaunch… and beyond!

50 Episodes of ComixLaunch Recap

ComixLaunch by the Numbers (as of 6-19-2016)

How many sessions?

50 sessions
Plus a 000 Session (establishing the show)
Two Bonus Sessions
One special Announcement about the ComixLaunch Workshop

How many minutes of audio?

2,216 minutes

Nearly 37 hours of mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

How many guests?

26 amazing guests

Young creators just getting started like 16-year old Tessa Beatrice (Session 047) who’s Fury’s Forge Kickstarter was successfully funded… first KS before she’s even left high school…
To industry veterans like Greg Pak (043)… and everyone in between.
We’ve also brought on people outside of the Comics Space like Catheryn Lavery of the Self-Journal (Session 038 on Scaling up Your Crowdfunding) … because we know Comics Doesn’t have a monopoly on great crowdfunding ideas.
And we haven’t just talked to creators… we’ve also talked to people who can help creators.
Sam Amborn and Jacob Way of Kraken Print (Session 034) on Comic Book Printing
CPA on Fire Josh Bauerle to answer vexing Kickstarter and Taxes tips (Session 024)
We brought on marketing expert James Ferguson to talk Facebook Advertising strategies (Session 28)
And we talked to Tommy Hall of BackerKit all about how that software can help make fulfillment easier (Session 041)

There have been almost 6,700 launched comic projects on Kickstarter. Of those, only half are successful. And of the successful projects, only 1.5% raise six figures or more. These campaigns are the vanguard for comics…

Jeremy talked to:

Jake Parker of Skyheart
Alex Woolfson of The Young Protectors
Tim Buckley of CTRL+ALT+DEL
Dave Rapoza and Dan Warren of Steve Lichman

There’s a saying “Most people under-estimate what you can achieve in 1 year and under-estimate what they can achieve in five or ten years.”

I think that’s totally true… but in the case of ComixLaunch, I think we’ve definitely come very far in a year.

50 Kickstarter Tips from 50 Creators

Download an E-Book that includes all 50 Tips so that you can consume at your leisure.

Creators Featured:

Adam McLaughlin

Amy Chu

Andrew Pawley

Anthony Christou

Brian John Mitchell

Bryn G Jones

Carmelo Chimera

Daniel Brodie

DeWayne Feenstra

Dirk Manning

Enrica Jang

Felipe Cagno

George O’Conner

Greg Pak

James Haick

Jamie Gambell

Jan Duursema

Jason Brubaker

Jennie Wood

Jeremy Melloul

Jim Whiting

Joe Mulvey

Joe Schmalke

Joey Groah

John Lee Dumas

John Lees

Jon Parrish

Josh Dahl

Joshua Janes

Jules Rivera

Justin Piatt

Kevin Joseph

Kevin Watkins

Kristi McDowell

Lucio Zago

Madeline Holly-Rosing

Martin Dunn

Max Dowdle

Michelle Palmer

Ray Chou

Richard Clark

Russell Brettholtz

Russell Nohelty

Ryan K Lindsay

Shane Smith

Tessa Beatrice

Tom Spellman

Vincenzo Ferriero

Wes Locher

Tyler James

Tyler’s Bonus Tip 51

Hey, Tyler James, from ComixTribe and ComixLaunch here… you didn’t think I wasn’t going to get in on this advice giving session, did you?

I lived in New Orleans for a couple of years, where the concept of always giving a little something extra or a lagniappe, was a big part of the culture down there… and its something that stuck.

So I promised you 50 tips, and I’m giving you one extra…

Don’t launch alone.

You’ve just been given tips from 50 amazing Kickstarter creators who have collectively raised millions of dollars in funding to bring incredible creative projects to life on Kickstarter.

But all of them will tell you that they didn’t do it entirely themselves. Their success on Kickstarter was certainly a product of a lot of a whole lot of time, hard work, ink, sweat and tears on their part. But it was also made possible by a support network of family, friends, peers, teachers, coaches, role models, and raving fans.

So don’t launch your Kickstarter alone.

Strength in numbers is not a cliche, it’s a universal truth… especially when it comes to crowdfunding and building a career. We created The ComixLaunch Course so that creators could plan, launch, execute, and fulfill their Kickstarter projects alongside a supportive community of like-minded peers… and ask anyone in the course… it definitely makes it easier.

But even if you never take the course, there’s nothing stopping you from reaching out to a friend or a peer who might be planning a crowdfunding campaign in the near future and agreeing to keep each other accountable as you go through the crowdfunding process. There will be ups and downs, strikes and gutterballs… you’re going to want someone there to pick you up when you fall, and to celebrate with when you triumph.

There will be ups and downs, strikes and gutterballs… you’re going to want someone there to pick you up when you fall, and to celebrate with when you triumph.

Don’t Launch Alone.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher – ComixLaunch

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can do immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU and your projects.

ComixLauncher 050 – ComixLaunch 50 SuperShow Giveaway

I’ve put together a huge bundle of some of my favorite books I’ve read in the past year, as well as some of my favorite reads of all time, including:

The Dip: A Little Book That Teaches You When to Quit (and When to Stick) by Seth GodinWill it Fly: How to Test Your Next Business Idea So You Don’t Waste Your Time and Money by Pat FlynnThe One Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results by Gary Keller & Jay PapasanA Crowdfunder’s Strategy Guide: Build a Better Business by Building Community Paperback by Jamey Stegmaier
As well as books by past CL guests such asUnnatural Talent: Creating, Printing and Selling Your Comic in the Digital Age by Jason BrubakerKickstarter for the Independent Creator: A Practical and Informative Guide To Crowdfunding by MHR

All great books, incredibly value packed.

I’ll pick six winners, who will get one of those books mentioned.

I’ll also pick one grandprize winner

So, the winner of the gets those and they also get a 30 minute skype KS strategy session with me where we’ll talk about your project and get your questions asked.

Books and conversations… two things that have had a massive impact on my life and my career… hope you’ll enter!

Wrap Up

Look ahead to the Next 50

Courses

New Primer Course this summer
ComixLaunch Course in the Fall
ComixLaunch.com/course if interested in any of these.
The Blog
Complete the 6 Figure Series
Ebook from the Series

The Podcast

Guests

Creators
Support
Lawyer – Kickstarter, Comics, and Legal questions
If you have them — ComixLaunch.com/voicemail
Hollywood Literary Manager
Beyond Kickstarter… navigating the world outside of Kickstarter

Multi-Part Training Episodes

Go even deeper on topics to maximize value for the listeners
A listener, Cetriya, submitted a voicemail suggesting Fulfillment as a topic, which inspired 049 on DIY Fulfillment.
If you have a specific topic you’d like for us to cover in more depth, please leave us a VM at ComixLaunch.com/voicemail.

One of the first Multi-part series, very excited to dive into, will be on Patreon.

While this is a Kickstarter focused podcast… it’s also a podcast about building careers and taking them to the next level… and Patreon is a tool that can do just that.

I’m excited to bring on creators who are having success on Patreon, and really dive deep into the differences between KS & Patreon… and when it makes sense to use one, or the other, or both.

And that also brings me to the final announcement of this supershow…

To truly talk about Patreon with knowledge and authority… I’m going to have to not only support other projects on Patreon, but become a Patreon creator myself.

Club ComixLaunch on Patreon

And so we will soon be opening Club ComixLaunch on Patreon.

Club ComixLaunch will be an opportunity for ComixLaunch listeners to support the show, and an opportunity for us to provide extra value to all of you.

Each month, we’ll be releasing a Club ComixLaunch bonus Kickstarter resource…

A guide

A checklist

A cheatsheet

A bonus training

A video

A template

…that will help you launch.

As the Club grows, we hope to be unlocking additional extras…
Monthly Kickstarter Page Critiques
Club Exclusives Chats and Q&As
Maybe even a Club ComixLaunch exclusive Facebook group or forum

Why are we doing this?

1) To support the Show

There are real costs associated with running this podcast…

Website Hosting – $140 per year

Libsyn Media Hosting – $240 per year (and grows as the show grows)

Podcast editing – $2,400 per year

Keeping The ComixLaunch Podcast going is about a $225 a month expense, and that’s before anything is spent on marketing to expand the shows reach.

I love making this show, and it’s not in any danger of going away… but I’m trying to model for all of you how you can create things you love, things your passionate about, things that bring true value into the world…

And at the same time do it in a sustainable way.

Club ComixLaunch on Patreon will help sustain and improve this show for the next 50 episodes and beyond.

2) To Better Manage Sponsors

I’ve been getting more and more requests for podcast sponsorships lately, which is awesome… but also becomes difficult to manage.

So, we’ll be moving our ComixLaunch sponsorships to Club ComixLaunch… so that creators or businesses who want to sponsor an episode of the show can do so through Patreon… and also interact with the Club.

3) Recognizing that there is Transformation in the Transaction

I know some of you have received tremendous value from this show, and would love to give back in some way… but also know that you’re probably unlikely to have the time or the resources to invest in The ComixLaunch Course.

Club ComixLaunch memberships will start at just $1 a month… and for many of you, that’ll be all it will take to upgrade creating and launching a successful Kickstarter from something you’ll do someday maybe… to something you’ll absolutely do this year.

It’s a way to put a bit more skin in the game, and get access to even more resources that will help your projects get funded.

4) And finally, it’ll let us provide Even More Value to the ComixLaunch Community

There are things we’d love to do with more resources…

Club ComixLaunch will help us do them.

ComixLaunch.com/club to be a part of our Club ComixLaunch Patreon Launch plans and get some cool bonuses.

Closing

One is greater than zero… keep moving forward one action at a time… and before you know it, you’ll have 50 panels drawn, 50 scripts written, 50 books on the shelves, 50 talented creators sharing advice with you, or 50 podcasts under your belt.
It’s pretty damn cool how that all works.

Want to add energy, backers, and funding to your campaign and build your standing in the Kickstarter
community at the same time? In this session, Tyler breaks down a step-by-step Kickstarter co-promotion strategy that will create a win-win-win for you, your backers, and your fellow Kickstarter creators.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Session Table Setting

This was a tough week. The world is mad, in Orlando three terrible stories coming out of there. And personally as well.

An email I received helped make the week better:

“I just wanted to take the time and give you a proper thank you for all the great stuff you do in the comics community. I’ve learned so much from your articles, podcasts, and soon from your classes. Time is a valuable thing, and I appreciate your generosity in spreading your wealth of knowledge to others. – Ryan Kroboth
It’s good to remember you can Control the Controllables. Take action. One positive step forward. Add value. Get some exercise.

ComixLaunch Course Launches

Meraki by Michelle Palmer – Hits her funding goal 5K

What is Today’s Episode About?

Kickstarter Co-Promotion

One of the easiest, most effective, and most fun ways to add interest, backers, funding to your campaign, and improve your standing in the Kickstarter Community.

What is Kickstarter Co-Promotion?
Definition – When you share another creator’s Kickstarter project with your audience, usually by mentioning it in a Kickstarter update, and that creator shares your project with their audience of backers.

Kickstarter co-promotions often result in backer crosspollination, and when done correctly, they’re a win / win /win — Win for you, win for the other project, and a win for backers who find out about another awesome project that they might have otherwise missed.

Mindset Myth – Kickstarter is a Zero Sum Game

Why is Kickstarter co-promotion so effective?

Because you’re promoting to Backers.
Because you’re very targeted.
Because it’s WOM referral from a trusted source.
What if you don’t know anyone to co-promote with?
Not a problem…
Receptive audience out there ready and willing to partner with you… and you might not even know them yet.

How to do a co-promotion step by step.

Kickstarter Creator Cross-promotion:
– Find 3-5 projects very similar to yours (genre, style, quality, # of backers)
– Back those projects (even at the $ level).
– Create an update titled “”More Cool Kickstarter this month…” And share links to projects you’ve identified, why it’s cool, and send to backers.
– Send a message through Kickstarter to the project creator:
– Identify yourself as a backer, and let them know you love what they’re doing.
– Compliment them one-three specific things you like about their project
– Tell them you shared with your own backers, including a link to the update
– Wish them luck on a strong finish.
– ASK FOR NOTHING IN RETURN.

Why ask for nothing?
Because these are strangers… and you never ask a stranger to do something for you if you haven’t provided value to them first.
You don’t need to ask… because there are greater forces at work here.
When you toss an apple into the air, you don’t need to toss it again to have it come down… the law of gravity has you covered.
Likewise, when you co-promote in this way, the law of reciprocity has your back.
Covered the Law of Reciprocity in ComixLaunch Session 4 as one of 9 social triggers at work on KS.
Powerful principle… if someone gives something to us, we will feel some obligation to give them something back in return.

Top Mistakes When Making a Co-Promotion Offer

Here’s THE WRONG WAY to do it:

My name is [name] and I’m the project lead on the [a product design] project. Would you be interested in a pledge and share cross promotion?
If we pledge $1 towards each other’s campaign, it would give a boost to both our pledges per day and total backers count stats. Since Kickstarter’s algorithm focuses on those numbers, this allows us to appear higher in the Kickstarter page. This is completely within the rules of Kickstarter and mutually beneficial. (improve your page rank by swapping dollars)
By doing this you should see a noticeable increase in pledges. It will definitely bump your project up on the list.
You can check out my campaign here:
(link)
Also, to sweeten the deal, if you leave a positive comment on my page, I will leave a positive comment on yours. Good reviews are also a great way to boost your rapport. Also we could share each others project on our social media to gain more exposure.
Let me know if you’re interested!

1) You don’t add value first.

This goes for Kickbooster as well.

2) Poorly targeted
Not your demographic
Do I like this? Really?
Would the people backing my project like this? Really?
Out of your league

3) Never pull back a pledge if you don’t get a co-promotion in return.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

ComixLauncher 49 Go on Kickstarter right now, and find one campaign that would be be a good match for your next project.

Are you fulfilling your Kickstarter campaign yourself? If so, this episode is for you, as Tyler will share his three top tools for DIY fulfillment, as well as hard-won wisdom from successfully fulfilling 7 Kickstarter campaigns, and with more on the way.

New ComixLaunch Course Kickstarter Launches

Joe Mulvey and Mummy’s Always Right:

We reached a dead zone where it was one of those days and a couple bigger pledges back out. It’s tough to keep perspective, in the midst of a KS.
Wow, we only raised $1500 this week, compared to $9,000 the week before… what are we doing wrong?

#3 Thermal Printer

Handwriting addresses to all customers on every single package doesn’t scale. When facing dozens or hundreds of packages, that’s not time well spent. One of the best investments you can make is a thermal printer.

Dymo LabelWriter 4XL, a specialized thermal printer that never needs new ink, and prints out all-in-one labels, that include a backer’s address, paid postage, and delivery confirmation tracking.

Even better, for international shipping, it also can include a built-in custom form.

Not having to fill out and apply 180 individual custom forms by hand saved me from countless hours of tedium in my first campaign, and probably errors.
And it makes for a professional looking package to boot!

#4. Endicia Shipping Service

Works with the USPS system to allow for easy at home printing and managing of posting and shipping.
30-day free trial, which I timed to coincide with the fulfillment of my Kickstarter.

$15.95 per month service:

Reduced prices on USPS shipping.

A dynamic price calculator that helps me quickly and easily compare postage prices for a number of options. (It’s much faster than using the USPS.com Online Postage Calculator.)

It works with my Thermal Printer to print all-in-one labels, including those pesky international custom forms.

Tracking management for shipped products…a record of everything I’ve ever shipped from home is logged in one place.

Free or discounted Delivery Confirmation.

And stealth postage, hiding the actual cost of postage from the end-user. (This isn’t about trying to fool my customers, but rather on the rare cases when I either overcharge or undercharge for shipping, that’s probably not something you want your customers to be thinking about when they get the books.)

As a special bonus, ComixLaunch listeners who back Split Lip receive Bringing Your Webcomic to Print, 10 lessons Sam learned from 10 years making comics that can save you time, aggravation, and money.

Every Split Lip story is complete and self-contained. So, whether you’ve been reading it since 2006 or starting now, the 10th anniversary book is for you.

If you enjoy dangerous stories for curious minds, check out the Split Lip 10th Anniversary Kickstarter at ComixLaunch.com/splitlip.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Great news, ComixLaunch listeners… despite what you read on the internet, the future of comics is in wonderful hands. In this session, Tyler talks to a young comic creator who recently won a $1,000 entrepreneurship competition for her diversity focused publishing line, and has launched a Kickstarter for her new series, Fury’s Forge, this month. Oh, and she’s still in high school.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Session Table Setting

Welcome back to ComixLaunch!

Happy Memorial Day, we have a great discussion today! I’ve been thinking a lot about legacy lately. What impact we’ll make and whether we’ll leave the comic industry in a better place than we found it. It started a small convention where I was reviewing the work of a 14 year old boy. A colleague pointed me to a local artist, a high school junior, who has launched a new Kickstarter… The project has diverse viewpoints, genders, ethnicities, and ages. I believe the next generation is in great hands…

I’d like to give a quick shout out to Josh Janes of Lost Dogs MC whose Kickstarter is fully funded. He employed a great milestone bonus strategy,
using fan art strategy to a tee.

The ComixLaunch Course alumni are now 2 for 2… with more launches coming up in June!

Guest Introduction

My guest today is a young and talented artist who is junior in high school. With her writer partner Zach Rocklin-Waltch, she’s started a new comics imprint Underdog Comics, which is committed to telling compelling stories featuring a diverse and authentic cast of characters. This month, they launched their first Kickstarter project for a new series called Fury’s Forge.

Welcome to ComixLaunch Tessa Beatrice!

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) I’ve been making comics since I was about 12 and selling them since I was 14… but I’d love to begin by hearing how long you’ve been making comics and how you first got interested in creating comics?
2) My audience has heard me talk about how I sold my first comic out of my backpack at school for a dollar a piece. (I made $9 total!) Fast-forward 25 years or so, and here you are taking your new series Fury’s Forge to Kickstarter, and it’s already received over $1,000 in pledges. Can you tell us about this new series?
3) Now, talk to me about your Kickstarter plan… How did you go about setting your goal, your pledge rewards, and your promotion plan to get the word out about it?
4) Now, when I was your age, most of my customers were my age… but I know to back a Kickstarter project you need to be at least 18 years of age… do high schooler kids know about Kickstarter and back Kickstarter projects?
5) Diversity is a core value of Underdog Comics. (Diversity of viewpoints is also a core value for ComixLaunch… which is why I’m thrilled to have you on.) As a young, female artist, what’s your experience in comics been like so far? Positive? Negative? And what would you like to see the comics industry look like by the time you’re my age?

Speed Round

1) Finish this sentence: “Kickstarter is _______.”

A place where people can share the projects they’re passionate about.

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

4) Unique campaign exclusive rewards are a great component of many successful Kickstarter projects. Does you’re campaign have any cool exclusives?

Original pencil pages that will be featured in later chapters, and commissions

5) Can you recommend one comic (not done by you) more people need to check out?

Rat Queens

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

ComixLauncher 47Today’s ComixLauncher — Write down one digital reward you can give to backers BEFORE your project is funded.

All of us are busy, but we all can spare 5 minutes to do this. [NA — What comes out on paper may surprise you. And if you’d like to share the results of your ComixLauncher with me, I’d love to see them. Email me at [email protected], subject line: ComixLauncher #47.]

The ComixLaunch mailbag is open again! Tyler shares his savvy new strategy to deal with the onslaught of unsolicited offers to help promote your
Facebook campaign. Plus: Can you share your project on the ComixLaunch Facebook page,and more importantly should you? Should you mail my backers pledges in alphabetical order? And should you share reviews for your comic on your Kickstarter page?

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

Purebuttons, your go-to resource for custom buttons of all shapes and sizes.

Session Table Setting

It’s another special Ask ComixLaunch Episode!

I’m having a good week both personally and professionally. Here’s some stuff I can talk about:
Joe Mulvey’s Successfully funded Mummy’s Always Right! I’ve run two KS in two months. This is not something I recommend to beginners, or even veterans. I had a supportive Team; I’m the shared element.

We will have Joe on the show, and are trying to get Jeremy to come on board as a guest interviewer.

ComixLaunch 50 is fast approaching and every day the upcoming episode gets more and more awesome.

If you know some one who isn’t listening to the show and should, please share the podcast with them.
And guys, especially if you’re launching with a Team: share the podcast. Because having the same knowledge base and getting on the same page as far as mindset, strategy and tactics is huge.

Life has ups and downs, but what’s important is how you handle it. My wife came home with the review mirror on the car knocked off. A 12 year old boy did it by accident while riding on his bike. The boy owned up to it and my wife forgave him and thanked him for his integrity. We’ll get it fixed…
And for all the negativity you might hear about “Kids these days”… there’s a good, stand-up kid with integrity.

Today’s Ask ComixTribe Questions

Question 1: Michael Bangert has a question about all of the various social media promotion companies who reach out to Kickstarter creators after they launch? Are these services legitimate? How should I handle them?
Here’s an Example:

Question 2: Can you share your project on the ComixLaunch Facebook page,and more importantly should you?

Question 3: Should you mail my backers pledges in alphabetical order?

Question 4: Should you share reviews for your comic on your Kickstarter page?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Episode Sponsor: PureButtons

When creating your Kickstarter projects, it’s absolutely essential to have a variety of pledge levels and awesome rewards for your backers. Making custom buttons of your most popular characters is an easy reward or add on you can bring to your campaign…and the folks at PureButtons can help. Specializing in custom buttons of all shapes and sizes, as well as button packs, fridge magnets, custom coasters and much more, PureButtons is my top recommendation for fast, reliable quality printing of buttons and more.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you take another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

In this session, Tyler talks to Jason Brubaker, a former Dreamwork animator who has pursued his dream of full-time self-publishing. Learn how Jason built a trusting and loyal audience that has helped him raise more than $200K in crowdfunding. Plus: Jason has a special bonus offer for ComixLaunch listeners.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Session Table Setting

Welcome back to ComixLaunch!
This is going to be a great show. I’m interviewing one of the comic creators and crowdfunders I look up to and have learned a ton from over the years. We’ll be talking all about building an audience.

This past week has been busy. I had a ComixLauch Live session as practice for the workshop. However, I ended up throwing 3/4 out the window.
We have a new series on the shelves this week: CHUM #1 from Ryan K Lindsay, Sami Kivela, Mark Dale published by ComixTribe… Surf Noir – Pulp Fiction on the beach.
Track it down at your local comic shop, grab it at shop.comixitribe.com or get it digitally on Comixology.

We also launched another Kickstarter, MummysAlwaysRight.com, with Joe Mulvey. I’ll have Joe on the show to talk about the transition from Comics to children’s books, and how a daily sketch he drew for his daughters turned into his new book.

Finally, we’re creeping up on the 50th episode of ComixLaunch! It’s hard to believe it… I’ve been working on something super special for this milestone episode. It’s going to be a lot of fun and I can’t wait to share with you guys.

I’d love to get to 50 reviews on iTunes in time for Episode 50? I’d love it if you can help us do that!

Guest Introduction
My guest today is the artist and writer of ReMind and Sithrah, Author of Unnatural Talent Creating, Printing and Selling Your Comic in the Digital Age. Formerly worked for Dreamwork animation, but left in 2015 to pursues self-publishing.

Welcome to ComixLaunch, Mr. Jason Brubaker!

Guiding Discussion Questions – Building an Audience by Building Trust

1) You launched your latest Kickstarter for Sithrah volume 2 with a $24K goal. Definitely not chump change. Yet, you were fully funded with the support of 500+ backers in 24 hours. I’m positive, my listenerers are wondering… how exactly does that happen?

2) Building an audience… I know there are a lot of people who listen to this show, and they’re thinking… “Okay, build an audience. Build an audience. I know I need to build an audience!… but how?” Knowing what you know now, if you were able to go back and time and drop some knowledge on young Jason B. with the goal to help him build an loyal audience… only faster, cheaper, and with less speed bumps along the way… what advice would you give him.

3) And what advice would you give to the creator who’s maybe been at this for a while now, not a newbie, been creating… and is in a bit of a rut. Maybe webcomic’s page views are flat, or can’t seem to grow fanbase. What tips or strategies might you have for him or her?

4) Now, you’ve launched 5 Kickstarter projects, and raised over $200K on the KS platform… but you did launch a project for an audio recording of your book Unnatural Talent: Creating, Printing, and Selling Your Comic in the Digital Age. One of the biggest keys to building trust with an audience is being open and honest and sharing successes and “failures” with them… what did you learn from that unsuccessful campaign? I’ve said before that a failing to fund shouldn’t be looked at as a failure… but rather simply a test. Agree?
Question: Would you be up for doing a special ComixLaunch listener incentive… back Sithrah v2, send you a Message letting you know you heard it on ComixLaunch through KS, you’ll give them a digital copy of this book? (Or audio version?)

5) Every time I launch a campaign, I’m always trying a few new things… are there anything new strategies you’re experimenting with on the Sithrah V 2 campaign?

Speed Round

1) Finish this sentence: “Kickstarter is _______.”

“All-consuming”

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

Jason, you’ve raised over $200K in Kickstarter funding across 4 successful projects. But for more than 2 years, you’ve also benefited from crowdfunding via Patreon, where patrons have been supporting you monetarily for every Comic Update you post. As of today, you have 171 patrons contributing $449 per comic update… (which is a much better page rate than most publishers pay, I might add.)
As I’ve committed this month to going deeper into understanding Patreon myself, and launching an Patreon to help support the ComixLaunch podcast, you’re the perfect person to help clarify for me and my audience the key differences between the two platforms.

1) From your knowledgeable perspective, and as it regards the independent creator, what are the key differences between Patreon and Kickstarter?

2) Have you noticed any differences between Patrons and Backers? Are they the same people?

3) One of the things I’ve noticed is that Creators on Patreon tend to launch far more lowkey than creators on Kickstarter… with Kickstarter, we know launching hot out of the gate is important so you’re not buried in the KS algorhithm and that the countdown clock starts ticking immediately, whereas there is no time pressure for Patreon. Still, I think it’s a mistake not to also treat your new Patreon “launch” or an event. Thoughts? Any tips for launching a Patreon page?

4) How much extra time do you put into managing your Patreon page, posting, rewards, etc.? What do you do to keep existing Patrons engaged, and encourage new patrons, while at the same time staying on track with your production?

5) If a creator is on the fence about choosing whether to launch a Kickstarter or a Patreon, what advice would you give them? Do they even have to choose? Should they do one before the other?

6) If you could change anything about the Patreon platform to make it better, what would you change?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

ComixLauncher 45 Today’s ComixLauncher — Write down one idea from this podcast you will implement to help grow your audience.

All of us your busy, but we all can spare 5 minutes to do this. [NA — What comes out on paper may surprise you. And if you’d like to share the results of your ComixLauncher with me, I’d love to see them. Email me at [email protected], subject line: ComixLauncher #45.]

Wrap Up

Wrap Up Questions
1) What’s next for you and Coffee Table Comics after Sithrah volume 2? Any other projects you’re working on that you’re excited about?
2) Besides checking out Sithrah over at Kickstarter, what’s the best way for listeners to connect with you?

Thanks for Listening.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you take another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Yes, having an explosive launch to your Kickstarter project is important… but so too is finishing strong. In this must-listen to session, Tyler breaks
down his 5 best tactics for closing with a bang, with examples pulled from his latest and greatest Kickstarter launch. If you’re running a Kickstarter campaign right now, you can’t afford NOT to listen to this one.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Session Table Setting

Happy Belated Mother’s Day to all the Mother’s out there!

Congrats to Kristi McDowell and the First ComixLaunch Course Success Story

She raised $11,430 on a $9,850 goal, powered by 220 backers; bringing her first Graphic Novel Collecting Gamer Girl & Vixen to life.
She ran a solid campaign and used a lot of the strategies and tactics we covered in the course, but also added her own spin on things…
Story Mode! (Not choose your own adventure!) in the updates.
It wasn’t easy (we never say it’s going to be easy) But I think it was easier, especially because she had 10 other creators in her corner throughout the campaign giving her feedback on updates.
Deconstructing her email blasts to her list.
Suggesting small tweaks mid-campaign that could have a big impact.
In fact, there was a strategy that I employed in the C is for Cthulhu campaign that worked extremely well… I shared it with her, she tweaked it slightly with her on take on it, executed it, and boom, $1000 boost in the middle of her campaign, in the dead zone that is always the toughest part.
Set the bar high for our other Members — Chris Garrett – Defects Vol. 1, Josh Janes Lost Dogs MC, and Cody Stewart’s – The Slip… all coming up. They look great.
I will definitely have Kristi on the show at some point to share her lessons learned.
Excited about this… because it proves the point that it’s not about ME. That this stuff can be taught, it can be learned. That creators with small, but growing audiences can harness the platform to do big things…

What is Today’s Episode About?

Finishing Strong.
Recently finished the C is for Cthulhu Coloring Book Campaign. It ended up, by $5, being the most funded campaign I’ve managed.
And while it got off to a strong start, with the most backers I’d received in the opening 24 hours, it was by far, the strongest finish of any campaign I’ve ever done. In fact, the last two days of the campaign were, by far, the best two days of the campaign in terms of funding.

Data provided by KickTraq.com, over the final 48 hours of the campaign, we:
163 New Backers or 16% of the total backers for the campaign.
$13,221 in funding or 31% of the total funds raised in the campaign.
Not bad for just 2 days, right?

Now, strong finishes are common, it’s Kickstarter math, so these results aren’t necessarily outliers. However, they also don’t necessarily just happen. There are plenty of projects that end with a far more mild bump than what we were able to achieve.
In this episode, I’m going to give you 5 Tips for having an explosive end to your campaign.
Sound good? Let’s do it.

5 Tips for an Explosive Finish to Your Kickstarter Campaign

Tip #1 – Create a Big Finish Checklist in Advance

Things speed up in the final two days… Relativity at play here.
Having an end of campaign game-plan in place before the final 48 is huge!!!
Checklists are a way to save yourself from missing steps. During a long exhausting campaign it’s easy to forget stuff. Checklists, created in advance help us.
One of the most valuable things inside TcC is the detailed checklists.

Tip #2 – Always Have One or Two Goals You’re Stretching for During the Home Stretch

Rebuttal to the “Don’t want to be Greedy” Comment
First, perfectly okay not to have stretch goals. Not a must, and the newer you are to crowdfunding, the more recommended it is to keep things simple.
However, I take exception to stretch goals or shooting for over funding as “being greedy.”
You’ve created a book…
Is making that book and campaign better for your backers being greedy?
Is wanting more people to get your book in their hands being greedy?
Is building more profit into your campaign being greedy?
I don’t think so… Reality is most creators won’t do a KS this year. Those that do will only do one… And it will be the biggest income month of the year… Followed by several down months while fulfillment takes time and energy.
When you’re campaigning, you owe it to your future self to give it your all… And if that means stretch goals and overfunding, there shouldn’t be any guilt associated with that.
Now, the tip is to design your stretch goals such that there is always one or two within reach that you can stretch to and rally around in your final 48 hours.
This is also why I don’t necessarily recommend putting up your stretch goals on day one…
You need to be running your campaign a while to see what’s feasible for stretch goals…
So, for Cthulhu, 3 days out, we were at $27,197… heading into Final 48 hours.
$30K was almost certain.
Because I was confident my $30K stretch goal would inspire a rush of new pledges and pledge upgrades, I was pretty confident $40K was attainable, too.
But $50K… wasn’t going to happen.
Decided to slip in a new stretch goal, $42,484… at which we would reveal the next title by Greg and Jason.
Why that amount? It was $1 higher than our previous funding target.
Well… what happened? With about 3 hours before close, we were about $1,200 away from that amount.
With 15 minutes to go… we were less than 200.
And with less than 5 minutes to go, we hit it… and ended the campaign just $5 over that mark.
Coincidence? Or did having that final stretch goal make the difference?

One Bonus Tip

It definitely helps if your Stretch Goal can be extra awesome… and ours was… a Giant C is for Cthulhu Plush doll.
For the last campaign, it was unlocking the Purple plush…
Not always possible or desirable to have a big game changing stretch goal at the end of the campaign, but believe me… it’s effective.

Tip #3 – Batch Your Social Media Countdown Posts

Here’s what I don’t want you to be doing in your final 48 hours… rushing to FB or Twitter 10 times on your final day day, crafting updates, making images and posting them to post reminders that your campaign is ending.
You’ve got more important things to do… such as monitoring the Kickstarter, fielding last minute questions, and celebrating a job well done.
To avoid this, block out an hour or so at some point during the final 48 hours, and batch your Kickstarter and Twitter updates.
Frequency – Twitter – final day, final 12 hours, hourly countdown, 45, 15, 10, 5, Thank You.
Facebook – Final Day, final 12, final 9, 6, 3, 2, 1, 15, done.
Use Canva.com to make nice, attractive, appropriately sized images
Twitter Posts — 1024 x 512 png
FB Posts — 940×788 png
Facebook – Schedule posts, starting from Campaign end and work backwards.
Twitter – Schedule Posts

Tip #4 – Ramp up Your Updates

No more than one a day… accept the last day.
Last Day Update
Remind them it’s the final day
Update on pending stretch goals
Gratitude
Closing Ceremonies reminder
Any Surprises?
Stretch Goals Unlocked – Let them know.

Tip #5 – Email Blasts with Motion Mail

You need to email your list.
How often should you email your list?
“Only email you list, on the days you’d like to make money.”
Now… a little cheeky… but there’s a lot of truth to it.
When you have an email list and you have a product to sell or a campaign to fund, there is a direct correlation between emails and sales.
More direct than ANYTHING else you can do…
Tweets.
Facebook posts
Insta-pintra-snaps
Emailed List
Thu, Apr 28, 2016 8:00 am
38 hours left to Color Cthulhu…
82 Link Clicks
Fri, Apr 29, 2016 7:05 am
Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum… GIANT Cthulhu Plush is available for 15 hours only!
183 Link Clicks
Fri, Apr 29, 2016 7:00 pm
Another Cthulhu campaign bonus unlocked! [3 hours left!]
237 Link Clicks
Now, one of my bonus tips that turbo-charges the urgency of those final emails to your list is the inclusion of a CountDown Timer right in my email.
I use a free tool available at http://motionmailapp.com/
In just a few seconds, you can set up a great looking animated countdown timer that countdown the seconds right in your email.
This adds urgency, it increase clarity and attention… and gets extra clicks.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

“What I want is what I’ve not got. But what I need is all around me.” – Dave Matthews Band

Thanks for Listening.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Greg Pak is one of the most prolific writers for Marvel and DC Comics (Planet Hulk, X-Men, Batman/Superman) and one of the most successful comic book creators to harness the Kickstarter platform. In this session, Greg shares his Kickstarter secrets that have powered nearly half a million dollars in crowdfunding.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by ComixTribe

Session Table Setting

Welcome back to ComixLaunch!

Guest Introduction

My guest today is a film director and writer of comics and children’s books. You know his impressive body of work for Marvel Comics, writing books like X-Men, Iron Man, Incredible Hercules, and the Incredible Hulk, among many others. He also recently finished up a long run on Batman/Superman for DC Comics. In addition to his Big-Two work, my guest is also an incredibly successful crowdfunder, having Kickstarted comics and children’s books. His graphic novel “Code Monkey Save World” based on the songs of Jonathan Coulton and drawn by Takeshi Miyazawa was the 9th most funded comic Kickstarter of all time. His latest project is “Kickstarter Secrets” a book of practical crowdfunding tips, is on Kickstarter right now and is more than 200% funded with 3 weeks to go.

Welcome to ComixLaunch, Mr. Greg Pak.

Anything I missed from that intro?
Well, one thing I missed, about a decade ago, you did a signing in a small Boston area comic shop, it was a sweet Hulk Doodle in my Planet Hulk Trade. Thanks for that.
And I also want to thank you, for, about four years ago, shortly before ComixTribe released SCAM #1 from Joe Mulvey, you were kind enough to read the book, and you gave us some very constructive notes on the book, which we were able to to take some action on, and make some changes before making our direct market Diamond debut. So again, much appreciated.

What is Today’s Episode About?

You have a new book called Kickstarter Secrets on Kickstarter right now, and this is a podcast all about the mindset, strategies and tactics that creators use to crowdfund their comics and graphic novels on KS. So it was a no-brainer for me to reach out to you and invite you on the show, and I’m glad you’re here.

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) We have an audience full of creators interested in harnessing the power of the Kickstarter platform to fund their projects and build their careers… can we throw some red meat at them immediately and reveal one “Kickstarter Secret” that you’ve discovered and talk about in your book?

2) I want to talk more about the book, but first I’d like to discuss the topic of who Kickstarter is for. Now, I know there are some listeners who are of the mindset that, they’ll use Kickstarter to help them make books, so they can get in the door eventually as big publishers. That Kickstarter is the stepping stone. But that’s certainly not the case for someone like you, or Sean Gordon Murphy, or Gail Simone, and many others. Who do you think Kickstarter is for?

3) Now, what would you say to the cynic who looks at your impressive credentials and thinks, “Of course HE is successful on Kickstarter. But I don’t have more than a decade of Big Two credits to my name… how is his book going to help me?”

4) So, Kickstarting a book on how to Kickstarter books… that’s pretty meta. What was the thinking around this campaign?

5) Let’s talk about the structure of the book itself. How is it organized?

6) I’m currently in the midst of my 8th Kickstarter campaign as well, and while I can say it does get easier over time… I’ve still yet to run “the perfect campaign.” What are some area’s of crowdfunding that you still find challenging?

Speed Round

1) Finish this sentence: “Kickstarter is _______.”

Whatever you can make it.

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

Make it so that if you’ve run several campaigns you can compile your mailing lists. And also so you can unsubscribe people.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

Today’s Sponsor – ComixTribe

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

ComixLauncher 43

Today’s ComixLauncher — Go get Greg’s Book!

Wrap Up

Wrap Up Questions

1) As difficult as it is to “break into” comics, staying in comics is harder… tips for staying in once you’ve broken in?
2) What’s are you excited about comics wise that’s coming up in the near future?

Besides Kickstarter Secrets, which is on KS right now, what’s the best way to keep up with all things Mr. Pak?

Thanks for Listening.
We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you take another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Kickback and be a fly on the wall with this frank crowdfunding discussion with Dirk Manning, writer of Nightmare World and The Tales of Mr. Rhee, and author of the book Write or Wrong: A Writer’s Guide to Creating Comics, as he an Tyler discuss the importance of putting enough skin in the game when running a Kickstarter and building a career.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

Purebuttons, your go-to resource for custom buttons of all shapes and sizes.

Session Table Setting

Welcome back to ComixLaunch!

Guest Introduction

My guest today is the writer/creator of the comic series TALES OF MR. RHEE (Devil’s Due), and the long-running webcomic anthology turned Image Comics/Shadowline series NIGHTMARE WORLD. I first discovered his work through his WRITE OR WRONG column on Newsarama and later Bleeding Cool, which eventually became a book WRITE OR WRONG: A WRITER’S GUIDE TO CREATING COMICS (Caliber) available in paperback on Amazon. He is a comic convention warrior, I get tired just thinking about his Con schedule. And he’s also got a few successful Kickstarter campaigns under his belt and about to launch a new one that we’ll talk all about…

Welcome to ComixLaunch Mr. Dirk Manning.

Now, usually when I do ComixLaunch interviews I send my guests a bunch of guiding interview questions to frame the podcast… But I’ve mixed it up. You have the gift of gab, the skills to pay the bills and knowledge bombs galore to drop… So we’re just going to have a conversation… Sitting around eating a bowl of ice cream and talking comics and KS.

What is Today’s Episode About?
The difference between using Kickstarter to fund a project in its entirety and using Kickstarter to “Kickstart” a project, and give you some, but not all of the funds you need to do your thing, understanding that it may be necessary for you to put skin in the game yourself.

SPEED ROUND

1) Finish this sentence: “Kickstarter is _______.”

“…A Game-changer.”

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

Easier to report predators that are trying to take advantage of you who are offering scams.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Episode Sponsor: PureButtons

When creating your Kickstarter projects, it’s absolutely essential to have a variety of pledge levels and awesome rewards for your backers. Making custom buttons of your most popular characters is an easy reward or add on you can bring to your campaign…and the folks at PureButtons can help. Specializing in custom buttons of all shapes and sizes, as well as button packs, fridge magnets, custom coasters and much more, PureButtons is my top recommendation for fast, reliable quality printing of buttons and more.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.

ComixLauncher 42-

Dirk’s two questions… write down, in pencil, short, one sentence answers to: What do you want?What are you willing to do to get it?

All of us our busy, but we all can spare 5 minutes to do this. [NA — What comes out on paper may surprise you. And if you’d like to share the results of your ComixLauncher with me, I’d love to see them. Email me at [email protected], subject line: ComixLauncher #42 ]

In this session, Tyler is joined by the head of sales of BackerKit, specialized software designed to make life easier for crowdfunders after their
campaigns are successfully funded. All Tyler’s BackerKit questions are answered. Listen to hear Tyler get 100% convinced that BackerKit is right for his next campaign.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Session Table Setting

Welcome back to ComixLaunch!

DC Comics Talent Development Workshophttps://www.dccomicstalentworkshop.com
“Finding and fostering fresh, new voices – the DC Talent Program is a vital component of reaching out, discovering and developing the next generation of talent.” – Jim Lee
2-WEEK WORKSHOP
Learn in-house from some of the very best artists in the business, surrounded by comic book professionals.
MASTER CLASSES
All aspects of the business will be covered as you develop your DC portfolio.
THE GOAL
Those who succeed have a shot at professional work!
Applications details:
Resume, Written Statement, Art Portfolio, Submissions Agreement
ARTISTS WORKSHOP
APPLY APR 1 – APR 30, 2016
Yes, there is a Writers Workshop, opens May 1.https://www.dccomicstalentworkshop.com

Reminder, be sure to register for The ComixLaunch Workshop!
Next month, I’ve been invited to do a panel discussion at a small, local Boston area convention. Public speaking is not something I consider a strong suit of mine, but with the podcasting and more teaching and panels coming this year, it’s something I’m looking to improve.
I believe that with anything, practice makes perfect, so I’ve decided to give the talk in the form of an online workshop as a form of practice… and I’d love it if you could attend.
In the talk I’m going to cover 7 Keys to making your first, or next, Kickstarter your absolute best launch yet.
Many of you know that over the past four years, I’ve successfully managed eight Kickstarter projects that have all exceeded their Kickstarter goals.
Through formal ComixLaunch podcast interviews and less formal conversations, I’ve also had the chance to pick the brains of many of the top crowdfunders in the comics space.
And I’ve also been pouring over a massive Kickstarter data scrape with an analysis of every comic book Kickstarter launched between 2014-15.
This workshop is an effort to pull all of that together into a tight, 45 minute presentation loaded with best practices and actionable information for both new Kickstarter creators preparing for their first launch and savvy Kickstarter vets looking to take their game to the next level.
I’ll also have a couple special bonuses in there for attendees.
And then, after the presentation, I’ll stick around for a live Q&A session to answer any of your Kickstarter questions.
This workshop is totally free, but it will be a private event, so I do need you to register at comixlaunch.com/workshop to secure your seat.
The workshop will be live at 7:30 pm on Monday, April 25, 2016… but even if you’re not sure if you can make that time live, you should still go register, because there will be a replay video after the event.
Once more, that’s comixlaunch.com/workshop for The ComixLaunch Workshop: 7 Keys to Your Best Launch Ever.
See you there!

Today’s Episode

We’re going to go in depth on a Kickstarter related software and service that I’ve been aware of for some time, but never really took the time to take a long hard look at.
The service is BackerKit. Not to be confused with BackerClub, which I talked about in a previous episode… BackerKit is survey and fulfillment management service that tries to make fulfillment easier for creators, so we can spend more time creating and less time buried in spreadsheets.
Now, I will be honest… my default position for any product in the crowdfunding economy is skepticism… I work hard to execute campaigns, and hate the idea of companies leeching off those efforts, without giving a real return.
So, I ask my guest today all the questions I have, all the reservations I have about BackerKit… and I’ve got to tell you… I really loved his answers.
So, if you’ve dismissed backerKit in the past or any other crowdfunding tools because you’re DIY to the core… that’s okay, I’ve been there.
But I’d encourage you to just listen to this conversation and keep an open mind…
Also, definitely stay to the end, because my guest surprised me with a special ComixTribe listener only offer worth $150. Pretty cool.
Okay, let’s bring him on…Today’s Guest
The head of Sales at BackerKit, a San Francisco Bay area company that has helped over a thousand crowdfunding projects get from survey to shipped.
He’s a Chicago-native, whose passions include fantasy football, craftbeer, and the outdoors, as well as helping crowdfunders take their fulfillment game to the next level.Tommy Hall, welcome to ComixLaunch!
– BackerKit[email protected] and include [email protected]

Guiding questions

1) Let’s get right into it… Can you tell the ComixLaunch audience what BackerKit is, who it’s for, and what problems it solves for crowdfunders?

2) Before we dive deeper into the details of working with BackerKit, what can you tell us about the origin of the company? Where did the idea for BackerKit come about? How long have you been in operation? How big is the BackerKit team?

3) Okay, let’s talk cost and pricing for creators. What does it cost to use the BackerKit service, and how does a creator sign-up?

4) Crowdfunders are a thrifty lot… and often very stubborn about parting with hard earned dollars. However, I think a lot of creators (myself included) tend to undervalue our time (an asset that we can’t get back) and overvalue our dollars (which we can always get more of)… What are the biggest areas where creators see ROI with BackerKit?

5) Our audience is largely comics, graphic novels, and publishing projects? Do people in those categories have success with BackerKit, and do you have any examples or success stories you could share with our audience?
Questions from the Audience
Carmelo Chimera (writer of the Magnificent, owner of the Chimera’s Comics Chain) – I’d like to know if BackerKit has the ability to collect/share any analytics about my backers that Kickstarter can’t/won’t? Is this information something I could just ask about during the survey process, or does BackerKit provide any information on my backers that I can use to better promote future projects?

6) What’s next for BackerKit? Are there any new features or tools you’re working on or are excited about?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

ComixLauncher 41Today’s ComixLauncher — Get out a calculator, and let’s do a little math:

1) Write down an estimate of how many backers you think your next Kickstarter will have. This number is A.

2) Now, write down an estimate of how much you think you can raise on your next project.

3) Now, take that number, multiply it by .01 and then add $124. This number is B.

4) Then, take that same estimate of how much you think you can raise, and multiply it by .05 percent. (5% is a super conservative estimate of what you might get as a boost in BackerKit upsells and failed CC reclamations.) That number is C.

5) Now, look at your numbers A, B, and C.
Is A bigger than 200? Yes or No?
Is C bigger than B? Yes or No?

If you answered Yes to either question, then I’d definitely suggest you at least take a long hard look at BackerKit for your next campaign.
The more backers you have, the more time and headaches BackerKit will save you.
And the more funding you’re raising, the more likely it is that through BackerKit add-ons you’ll be able to more than recoup the cost of investing in BackerKit.

Wrap Up

Hey, I hope you enjoyed that discussion with BackerKit. I hope it didn’t come across too much like an infomercial, and as of this recording BackerKit is not a sponsor of the show…
And because I haven’t used them myself, I can’t make an official ComixLaunch endorsement of the BackerKit service yet.
However, as I said in the conversation, Tommy definitely convinced me to give it a shot, and as my current campaign, the C is for Cthulhu Coloring book is currently over 500 backers, and I have a lot of options available for add-ons, BackerKit definitely makes a lot of sense.
Finally, if you have experience with BackerKit, positive, negative of indifferent
Quote
“People of accomplishment rarely sat back back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” – Leonardo Da Vinci
Get out there and make things happen guys. To paraphrase Ghostbusters, you’ve got the tools, you’ve got the talent. And you’ve got me in your corner.
Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.
Thanks for Listening.
Tease future episodes
We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

It’s ComixLaunch mailbag time again! Tyler answers questions about print, the best way to send digital files to your backers, and the challenges of
crowdfunding second issues. Plus, we have a survey winner!

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

Today’s session is sponsored by the ongoing comic series Solar Flare by James Haick and Branko Jovanovic, currently on Kickstarter.

Today’s Ask ComixTribe Questions

Question 1: Joshua Janes (Lost Dogs MC) – Working on schedule for delivery dates, when it comes to printers, will they lock your project into their schedule, even if your campaign isn’t successful? How are you able to guarantee your fulfillment dates, if the printers aren’t locking in your printing scheduling?

Answer

When doing an offset print run, there is a set up cost. Create the plates, schedule time on the printing press, time to run, etc. So, the question makes sense, that needs to be schedule, but you can’t absolutely lock down that time until you’ve secured funding.
Good news — don’t need to worry about it. Most of us aren’t doing print runs that will take much time at all. A couple of days to get on the schedule, compared to the long boat ride from overseas won’t make much of a difference.
Contact your printer early!
Kraken wants to hear from you even if you’re just at the idea stage —http://krakenprint.com/quote/
About a week before you launch, confirm with them that the quote is till good, and let them know you’re launching.
Ask them to be on hand for any questions you might have during the campaign.The one caveat — Chinese New Year
End of Jan, early February… things literally shut down for a couple of weeks, take a bit to get spun back up.

Question 2: Hi Tyler what is the best way to do a pdf comic so that kooks don’t go out and print copies of it, or is it even worth bothering with? And what is the best way to send the pdf comics out to backers? David Reiner of Rescue Cats

Answer

First, yes, PDFs are totally worth doing.
First KS campaign, sold about $500 worth of digital copies of the OXYMORON volume 1 collection. 90% profit, no fulfillment cost, besides my monthly dropbox fee, which I was paying for already.
Current KS, $253 in digital only PDF sales… small fraction of $10K+ in funds, but again, 90% profit.
Compare that to Comixology sales… ComixTribe currently has about 20 titles for sale on Comixology, and we’re netting only about $500 per quarter in Comixology revenue… 50/50 split with Comixology.
Kickstarter is also the most lucrative digital distribution platform for independent creators.
Second, don’t spend a minute worrying about Kooks going out and printing copies of your book.

First, if they have the files, sure, they can print them if they want to waste their printer ink.

Second, you don’t have to worry about them printing salable versions, because you’re not going to send them a print resolution file of your comic! That would be way too large anyway. I recommend sending a 200 DPI version. High enough to look good on a mobile device, low enough that they couldn’t print.

Third, it’s hard enough for YOU who’s living breathing your comic to make a profit off it… think of how difficult it would be for a “kook”

Fourth, even if it was possible, wouldn’t they be much better off printing and selling, say, The Walking Dead or Spider-man, than some little known indie book.
It’s not a concern.

Third part, what’s the best way to send a PDF to backers?
Create Your PDF
How to create a PDF of your Comics?
Make sure it is a reasonable size…
Web resolution, not print resolution.
200 DPI
Comic ~ 8-20 mb
Trade ~ 30-50 mb
In Photoshop or other Adobe Programs
Ask Your Artist
Fiverr
Tools to Deliver Digital Rewards

Dropbox
I use Dropbox.

1) create the PDF
2) put it in your DropBox public folder
3) copy the public link to that file
4) share that link with your backers
There are plenty of other services out there, but Dropbox provides the best experience.

Question3: How best to tackling issue #2s on Kickstarter to avoid the dreaded #2 sales drop.

Answer

Comics has the most successful and frequent repeat Crowdfunders.
Serial nature of Comics
Cliffhangers
A few weeks back Ryan K Lindsay sent me his campaign for the second Deer Editor Kickstarter project with Sami Kivela.
My biggest piece of feedback to Ryan was to change his project image, project description, and project name to downplay the #2 aspect of the Kickstarter.
So, instead of calling the campaign Deer Editor #2, he called it Deer Editor: Fearless, which was the story tightly.
Why? Why do this?
To avoid the dreaded Issue #2 drop… which is one of the most powerful negative forces in all of comics.
In comics, issue #1 is often the highest ordered issue of the entire series.
It’s an easy jumping on point.
It’s new, and gets the most (easiest) coverage from media.
Often gets the biggest push from the creators.
Collectibility factor.
#1s are awesome.
Inevitably mean that #2s… are less awesome.
Often significantly less… 40-50% order drops are very common.
11/2015: Dark Knight III #1 of 8 — 440,234 [449,099]
12/2015: Dark Knight III #2 of 8 — 158,188 (- 64.8%) [163,238]
Affects indie folks too… and Dealing with it with Ryan and Sami on CHUM, which will be out in a couple weeks.
Issue #1 orders were decent. Always want them higher
Issue #2 orders down 45%
Part of that is all those #1 reasons for order spikes aren’t valid.
In the direct market, retailers by on a non-refundable basis, and often on a monthly series, have to order #2 BEFORE they even get delivered issue #1. So, even if they take a chance and order heavy on #1, they will often go conservative on #2.
But what about Kickstarter? Are Kickstarter #2s susceptible to the same #2 drops?
Some might say no…
After all, data shows that success rate, funding, and backer counts for creators returning to Kickstarter after having a successful campaign tend to go up on average.
Plus, creators often are able to offer issues #1 & #2 together to welcome new to the Kickstarter backers, which is different than the reader showing up
I haven’t done a hard analysis on this… and it’s one of the things I’d like to number crunch with my KS data set.
But, still, I think there’s enough psychological and anecdotal and historical evidence to suggest that #2 might be a challenge for creators.
A #1 sends the message that I can get on board right now… #2 sends the message that the party has already started.
#2 also sends the message that what I’m getting is just a piece of a larger whole, which turns away the trade-waiters.
#2 is very much a comic book industry term… and one of the things we can do with KS is play by new rules.
So, for those reasons, Ryan took my advice, and changed the title of his project from Deer Editor #2 to Deer Editor: Fearless, and downplayed the #2 in the imagery and project description.

Caveats and Recommendations
No way to know the exact impact this change had on the campaign. We didn’t do a side-by-side.
Second, calling it Deer Editor: Fearless made sense as a title, because it’s a stand alone story, that while picking up on the threads and style laid out in #1, could be read and enjoyed on its own.

If you’re going the more traditional comic book serial storytelling approach, similar to James Haick Solar Flare, where you’re launching a KS every 3 months with a new issue, then maybe serial #ing still makes a lot of sense.

But, if you’re going to have a year or more gap between issues, from a marketing standpoint, I’d suggest downplaying the #2.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…Solar Flare

Solar Flare is an ongoing comic series that takes place in a world very similar to our own. The only difference is that Earth was just hit by an x-class solar flare wiping out all electronics, similar to an EMP.

The main protagonist of the story, Jake Clifford, has to travel from Florida to Tennessee in this new electronic less world. He not only wants to reunite with his young daughter Mazzy, but to also help his scientist friend get to a facility that will act as ground zero in reestablishing the country’s electrical infrastructure.

Solar Flare is a post apocalyptic, sci-fi story that has been described as Y: The Last Man meets The Walking Dead without zombies.

James and his team of creators have successfully raised enough money 4 separate times now on Kickstarter and the 5th campaign launched on March 1st.

All 5 issues are available for sale on their website, www.solarflarecomic.com/store. Comix Launch listeners can download the 1st issue of Solar Flare for free using the coupon code:comixlaunch

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

ComixLauncher Today’s ComixLauncher — Ask ComixLaunch a Question

I love doing these Ask ComixLaunch episodes… but need your questions to do them.
Best is when we can here your voice, like we heard from Joshua Janes earlier in the show, The ComixLaunch voicemail line is open at ComixLaunch.com/voicemail
Email me at [email protected], subject line: ComixLauncher #40.]

Wrap Up

Thanks so much for your questions! I really do like it when this show is interactive… it’s the kind of advice I’d dish over lunch or a cup of coffee. Keep ’em coming.
Anything to add, or challenge, want to hear that on the ComixLaunch voicemail line as well.
Thanks everyone for filling out the ComixLaunch Survey, and Congrats to Andrew Pawley who won the Crowdfunding Strategy Guide by Jamie Stegmeier.
Even if you didn’t win, you should totally get that book, and I’ve included a link to it in the show notes — [link]

Quote“People of accomplishment rarely sat back back and let things happen to them. They went out and happened to things.” – Leonardo Da Vinci

Get out there and make things happen guys. To paraphrase Ghostbusters, you’ve got the tools, you’ve got the talent. And you’ve got me in your corner.

Thank you so much for listening, and for letting me walk with you, as you taken another step forward toward your next successful ComixLaunch.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

In this session, Tyler talks to the creator of Hyperstarter, a new diagnostic tool for crowdfunders. Plus, a new change to Kickstarter image sizes, and ComixLaunch listener voicemail.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Session Table Setting

Hello, and Welcome!
Today we have voicemails from Richard Clark and Ray Chou.
In Kickstarter News there is a change in project image size:

New Project Image: 4:3 to 16:9 starting April 6
Expect video will move to 16:9 widescreen as well.

This is a good thing. Creating a 16:9 version for YouTube, 4:3 for KS
This could be a challenge for comic creators who take the easy route.
Even harder to take your comic cover and simply use that for your project image.

Today’s Episode is all about a new, Free tool for Crowdfunders.

Welcome back to ComixLaunch!

Guest Introduction

My guest today is an English artist and entrepreneur living in China.
He’s the creator of the website GiftsandCoupons.com. a digital coupon and gifts marketplace.
And he’s now the creator of Hyperstarter, a new crowdfunding marketing and analytics tool that instantly analyzes a Kickstarter creator’s project page, identifying strengths and areas for improvement. He also has services to help creators promote their projects, find backers, and connect with influencers in their niche.
Welcome to ComixLaunch Mr. Giles Dawe.

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) What’s the story behind Hyperstarter? How did you come to be interested in the Crowdfunding space?

2) I’ve had the chance to preview the Hyperstarter tool, and from what I’ve seen, it’s pretty cool. But I’d like you to give a bit more detail on it. What’s the problem it’s trying to solve, and how does it try to solve it? What are the key features and benefits?

Does it work for:

Current Projects?
Projects in Draft or Preview Stage?
Past Projects?
Doesn’t appear to analyze the video? Is that on the horizon. (Tech difficult)
Ideal # of Words?
Rewards? Stuff in Mind there?

3) How do you see Hyperstarter in comparison to other tools and services out there? How are you keeping up with what else is out there in the ever expanding crowdfunding space?

4) What’s the business model behind Hyperstarter? The tool is free, how do you make money to keep the lights on and keep improving the tool?

5) You wrote a great linked in Post called “100 Crowdfunding Influencers to Boost Your Campaign”? I’ll link to the post in the show notes, but what kind of advice do you have for listerners when it comes to finding and reaching out to influencers?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

ComixLauncher 39 Today’s ComixLauncher — Go to Hyperstarter.com and plug in a Kickstarter Project to check.

Wrap Up

Wrap Up Questions

1) If ComixLaunch listeners are interested in finding out more about Hyperstarter.com, what should they do?

In today’s session, Tyler talks to Cathryn Lavery of BestSelf.co, who recently launched a crowdfunding campaign that raised more than $300,000 on Kickstarter in the publishing category. How to achieve 6-figure crowdfunding success is talked about at length, including plenty of actionable strategies creators can apply to their own campaigns.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

KrakenPrint

Need a reliable printer for your next comic book or graphic novel print run? Then you need to unleash the Kraken. Head to ComixLaunch.com/Kraken for 5% off your entire first order.

Session Table Setting

Welcome back to ComixLaunch!
We try to find the best minds in Crowdfunding space. If they’re in the comics world, awesome, but sometimes the best Kickstarters are found in other crowdfunding categories…
Ideas that work in one area can be tweaked and adapted to work for us.

Guest Introduction

My guest today is a graphic artist who focuses on the intersection of design and entrepreneurship. She’s the cofounder of BestSelf.co, a company on a mission to create meaningful products that help people become their best self.

She shares her creative and entrepreneurial journey on her blog LittleMight.com.

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) You have a very compelling personal story of how, in a little over three years, you’ve been able to leave your job as an overworked architect and launch your own business creating products you’re incredibly passionate about… and Kickstarter has played a major role in that process. Can you tell us more about your story?

2) I know you’re a firm believer of validating an idea before investing too much time, money and resources into it. (Kickstarter and other crowdfunding platforms are essentially idea validation platforms.) And I completely agree with you. At the same time, I often tell the people listening to this podcast that simply having an idea isn’t enough to take it to Kickstarter… and that they need to put some “skin in the game” in order to get backers on board. So, where do you draw the line between how much time, money, energy to invest in a project before validating it on a platform like Kicstarter? Are there other validation steps before launching that you recommend?

3) Now, the Self-Journal project was a massive success, and raised over $15K in the first 28 hours? How did that campaign get off to such a rock-solid start?

4) One of the most brilliant things you did, and something not a lot of creators are savvy enough to do, is that you had a sweet Joint Venture deal, partnering with Blinkist, to add tremendous value to your campaign. I was a campaign watcher who became a backer… that was an offer too good to pass up. Can you tell me a little bit about how that came about? What advice might you have for KS creators looking to create a similar win/win scenario for their projects?

5) Finally, I wonder if you could talk a little bit about your approach to the packaging and designing of your product… I’ve heard you on other shows talking about wanting to provide “the Apple Experience” to your backers, and the unboxing of the Self-Journal was in fact a great experience. Yet this is something so few project creators give much thought to.

Speed Round

1) Finish this sentence: “Kickstarter is _______.”

An awesome tool to turn an idea into a real thing.

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Last year, ComixTribe spent nearly $85,000 on printing.

While we rely on a number of printers to get our books to market, one printer I can strongly recommend is KrakenPrint…

Our friends Jacob Way and Sam Amborn at Kraken Print offer:

Competitive pricing.
Great customer service, especially for your first offset print run.
Monthly storage if you do not want to store hundreds or thousands of books at home.
Distribution options, including breaking down orders and shipping direct to Diamond or comic stores at their specially negotiated discounted rates on shipping.

And NOW they even offer Kickstarter fulfillment!

Kraken will pick, pack, and ship out orders for your backers.

If you want to unleash the Kraken, go to comixlaunch.com/kraken, mention the ComixLaunch podcast, and they’re going to knock 5% off your first print run…and they’re going to hook us up with a 5% credit.

It’s a classic win/win/win/win – You get a great price on printing, your backers get a beautiful offset printed book, you help the podcast out, and Kraken gets your business.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

ComixLauncher 38 Today’s ComixLauncher — Take this short ComixLaunch Survey – ComixLaunch.com/kbsurvey Three short questions

One of you guys or gals is going to add an awesome resource -The Crowdfunders Strategy Guide by Jamey Stegmier to your library.

Serialization has been a fundamental aspect of the comic book medium. This session with new writer James Haick explores the strengths, weaknesses and opportunities Kickstarter provides creators to crowdfund comics one issue at a time.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by

Session Table Setting

Welcome back to ComixLaunch!

Guest Introduction
My guest today is success financial advisor and a lifelong comic fan, who, in 2015 finally got into the game, writing successful career as a financial advisor for
Welcome to ComixLaunch, James Haick
Anything else you want to tell the CL audience about you and your work before we dive in?

What is Today’s Episode About?

Guiding Discussion Questions

1) Tell us a little more about Solar Flare? Where’d the idea for it come from, and what led you to the decision to take issue #1 to Kickstarter?

2) Take us back to that first KS… Jan 28, 2015, you launched SF #1 KS. You set a $3,800 goal, and hit it on the day before your campaign ended, raising $3,874 in funding.

Was that first campaign as nerve wracking as I imagine it was?
You had a very specific 4,000 copy print run in mind for that goal… where’d that number come from?
What were your big lessons and takeaways from your first KS?

3) Okay, let’s talk about funding the second issue. Three months later, April 28th, you launched the KS for the second issue.

What did you change for #2?
More backers, less funding… thoughts on why?
Decision to launch KS for #2 prior to #1 getting in backers hands. Risky?

4) Now, for #3, #4, #5 you’ve been coming out almost like clock-work, every three months. However, you’ve been playing with the goal amount. Dropped to $2K for #3, down to $1500 for #4, and back up to $2K for #5. What’s your thinking there?

5) Reader attrition is something every publisher has to deal with…

What are you doing to keep backers coming back for each issue?
What are you doing to bring new readers on-board?

Speed Round

1) Finish this sentence: “Kickstarter is _______.”

A chance for all us independent creators to create something.

2) Let’s the pretend the powers that be at Kickstarter are listening (which you know they are)… if you could change one thing about the Kickstarter platform, what would it be?

To eliminate double emails for backers who have backed more than once.

Sponsor Mid-Roll

In a moment, I’m going to give you today’s ComixLauncher, but first, we need to thank our sponsor…

Luminous Ages

Luminous Ages is a fantasy comic set in a universe where dragons, humans, gods, titans, demons, angels and beasts have the ability to control dream magic!
Created by Australian writer/artist Anthony Christou, the adventure begins with a young farm boy, Thrakos, going through a painful transformation to become a Mage of the Mark. What path will he choose? What secret has his father been hiding from him? And why are dragons hunting him in the dreamworld?

It’s a full-color paperback comic available now on Kickstarter, and includes a bonus concept art book full of dragons and magic, that expands on existing and future characters and environments in the comic!

The first issue of Luminous Ages and the Concept Artbook is finished and can be ordered now.

ComixLauncher

It’s time for today’s ComixLauncher.
A ComixLauncher is a short, actionable activity you can and should do right now, or immediately after listening to the show. They’re all activities I’ve done myself, and will get you one step closer to a successful ComixLaunch. They’ll transform this Podcast from a passive, lean back activity centered around Tyler James, into an active, lean-forward activity centered around YOU.

ComixLauncher Today’s ComixLauncher — Share a resource with someone who could use it.

James shared a lot of his favorite resources, and talked about how helpful people in the comics community have been to him, and he’s interested in returning the favor.
It’s one of the special things about our community… that we help each other.

All of us our busy, but we all can spare 5 minutes to do this. [NA — What comes out on paper may surprise you. And if you’d like to share the results of your ComixLauncher with me, I’d love to see them. Email me at [email protected], subject line: ComixLauncher #37.]

Wrap Up

Wrap Up Questions
1) One thing we didn’t talk about was ?
2) What’s the best way to keep up with you online?

Thanks for Listening.

We’re going to go even deeper into both mindset, strategies and tactics for making KS work for you.

Have You Subscribed, Rated, or Reviewed ComixLaunch Yet?

If you’ve enjoyed this Session of ComixLaunch, I need you to do me a favor… actually, I need three favors. Please Subscribe, Rate and Review ComixLaunch on iTunes.

They’re the rocket fuel this show is running on, and the sooner you do it, the more powerful your action will be. Don’t wait to give us some love!

Tyler investigates BackerClub, a community of frequent crowdfunders that offers promotional opportunities for Kickstarter creators. Is BackerClub a legitimate marketing vehicle for creators, or is it scam creators and backers alike should avoid like the plague? This session will help inform you in order to make your own intelligent decision.

Today’s Session is Sponsored by…

Solar Flare

Today’s session is sponsored by the ongoing comic series Solar Flare by James Haick and Branko Jovanovic, currently on Kickstarter.

Session Table Setting

Welcome back to ComixLaunch!
The podcast to learn about mindset, strategies, and tactics…

Buckle up for this one… a little investigative reporting.
But first, a little housekeeping…
Thank you for the voicemails that are coming to to the ComixLaunch hotline. We’re going to have fresh session of “Ask ComixLaunch” coming up, and I’d love to get as many of your voices on the podcast, asking your KS questions as possible.

ComixLaunch Course — Hard to believe it, but Monday is my last lecture of the pilot session of The ComixLaunch Course.
It will be a another month or so before first graduates launch their KS, so excited to see how they put the lessons into action.
Jeremy and I are learning a ton by pulling together this course — about the things creators are and aren’t doing, where the pain points and course corrections are needed, etc.
It’s helping me gear up for a few new Kickstarter projects I’ll be managing in the coming months as well.

And I’m excited about going back through the course from top to bottom and making it even better for the next group, based on the valuable feedback from our brave pilot course members.
Still not sure exactly when the next group of the course will run, but if you’re at all interested, please get on our interest list at www.comixlaunch.com/course

What is Today’s Episode About?

Is BackerClub a Scam?
What Sparked my Interest
Post in a FB Community

Here is another trick and spam from the people at BackerClub that I am now firmly filing them under never participating and actively speaking out against… my last campaign I got into a fight with the guy who spammed me 3 times. Now this deceptive email comes across my desk:

Cool campaign, [creator name]! Congratulations on yet another great campaign opening. What an awesome design and concept! I want this for game night! Realistically I can’t join you on this venture as I’m a new dad since last month (!) and I can’t justify the expense for something I don’t need right now. Despite this I can’t help but be tempted even with the weak Canadian dollar…let me discuss it further with the wife!

Have you ever considered adding it to Backerclub? It is a community of frequent backers. Backerclub helps projects get high yield exposure to people that back a lot! I am just a member but I love seeing excellent campaigns like yours in the community. You do not need to provide any payment information until after you get accepted so it really is no risk to apply! Actually, you don’t even get charged until your campaign has been fully funded AND Backerclub has provided you with enough pledges to cover the entrance fee of $379! It would be so amazing to see you join.

If you are interested and want to put [Project Name] in the lineup, look up backerclub! Here is a link for your convenience:[Link] Looking forward to hearing from you. I can help you with coming up with perk ideas![Name]

I’ve received this same email or one very similar… and usually I just ignore them, and everyone else interested in taking my money in exchange for providing me access to mystical backers.
Most of the comments
But not all…

“BackerClub is legit. There are a lot of parasites in the Kickstarter ecosystem but BackerClub is not one of them. They can help your project a lot if you’re a good fit for them.”

I don’t know the commenter, but I have seen his comments elsewhere, and found them to be good advice…

The reality is… I don’t know if BackerClub is a SCAM or not… I don’t know much about them at all.

I’m dismissive.

I’m skeptical.

My warning bells are ringing… but I don’t know.

But you guys listen to this show to find out about this stuff.

So, it was my duty to find out more.

In this episode, I’m going to take you with me on my journey inside BackerClub.
What is it?
How does it work?
What’s in it for Backers?
What’s in it for Kickstarter Creators?
How does BackerClub make money?
Is it a legit deal for Creators looking to crowdfund their projects? Or is Backerclub a SCAM.

Now, I’m going to tell you upfront, I won’t be able to answer this question in full in this session… and there will be a part two required.
My goal for this session is to really dissect BackerClub, mostly from the Backers side of the equation.
But to truly understand whether it’s worth considering for you, the creator, I’m going to need to use it in conjunction with a KS project… So, I will commit to using Backerclub for my next KS project, and then reporting all the details… good, bad, ugly, in the part 2 follow up.
If you are a ComixLaunch listener and have any past experience with BackerClub, either as a backer or a creator using their service, please, please, please chime in over at comixlaunch.com/voicemail and share your experience with the rest of us. I’ll add your voice to the part two BackerClub follow up session.
And finally, if you would like to check out BackerClub yourself and do your own investigation, please go to ComixLaunch.com/backerclub and click our special referral links on that page, which will help us mitigate our risk in testing the service out. Again, ComixLaunch.com/backerclub for the links for creators and backers alike.

Okay, What is BackerClub?

Let’s start by letting BC tell you —

Becoming a BackerClub Member (Free)
Signed up as a backer
Name and Email and password to Sign Up
Complete Registration
Asked for Forum Name
Kickstarter or Indiegogo Profile
Required me to add “Member of BackerClub.co” to my biography.
Submit
Email to Confirm my account
“Welcome to the club! You are a big-time backer and have qualified to be a part of our community. Congratulations! Please login to your account to get started.”

Log in and the set up is:
Projects
Heart of the site, a 4 projects across filterable projects section.
Filter by Site
Kickstarter or Indigogo
Filter by C